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Specifications: - Region 1 - Run time: approx. 123 minutes - Subtitle: English -
Menus: Animated - Package: Keep case - 24 chapters
Video Features: - Aspect ratio: 1.85:1 widescreen
Audio Features: - English: DTS 5.1 - English: Dolby Digital 5.1 - English: Dolby Surround
Bonus Materials: -
HBO behind-the-scenes featurette - Stillwater's "Fever Dog" music video - The Rolling Stone articles (7) - Production notes (2 pages) - Cast and filmmaker bios - Theatrical trailer
Release Dates: Theatrical Release: 2000 DVD Release: 03/13/01 Review Date: 04/21/01
List price: $ 26.99 On-line price: $ 18.49 Pre-order price was: $ 18.49
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| Almost
Famous Winner Academy Award® for Best Original Screenplay Winner of Two Golden Globe Awards, including Best Picture (Comedy) Dolby Digital & DTS 5.1 |
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Starring: Patrick Fugit, Kate Hudson, Billy
Crudup, Writer/Director: Cameron Crowe
MPAA Rating: R Genre: Drama - Musical - Comedy Studio: DreamWorks
Pictures |
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Movie: B+ Video: A- Audio: A Extras: B-
Summary:
"Almost
Famous" is about an up-and-coming music critic's brief life
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The Story
I'll be honest up front. I'm not crazy about rock 'n roll movies. Don't get me wrong. I like rock 'n roll music as much as the next person, but when it comes to movies about rock 'n roll, I'm not crazy about the typical portrayal of illegal substances and gratuitous sex. Now that I got that out of the way, I will say that although "Almost Famous" is about an up-and-coming music critic's brief but intimate look at the on-the-road and behind-the-scenes life of a (fictional) 1970s rock 'n roll band, I enjoyed this movie much more than I had anticipated. The screenplay is wonderful, digging deep in terms of character study. That shouldn't be too surprising considering it is written by Cameron Crowe (screenwriter for "Jerry Maguire") based on his real-life experiences as a young music critic, and that it won this year's (2001) Academy Award® for best original screenplay.
The fifteen-year old William Miller (Patrick Fugit) is an inspiring music critic. When the band "Stillwater" comes to his home town of San Diego for a concert, he makes an attempt to go backstage to secure an interview with the band members. During his attempt, he encounters a girl who goes by the name of "Penny Lane" (Kate Hudson), as in the name of the song. She is the leader of the so-called "Band Aids". When asked by Miller if they were groupies, she responds:
"We are not groupies... Groupies sleep with rock stars 'cause they wanna be near someone famous. We're here because of the music. We are Band Aids... We inspire the music. We're here because of the music."
Miller quickly learns to patronize the band members with some shrewd remarks as they make their entrance and in return gains access to the backstage area. Winning the trust and friendship of the lead band members, Miller sets up to do an interview for an article and sells the idea to Rolling Stone magazine. When Rolling Stone takes him up on his proposal, Miller must figure out how to get his mother (Francis McDormand) to allow him to travel on the road with the band to get his interview. While William travels with the band and the wild group of "Band Aids", Mrs. Miller's occasional calls to her son reminds us of the more wholesome world, even in the midst of the wild rock 'n roll parties.
The story is largely based on Cameron Crowe's own life as a young adult. Take a screenplay from a talented writer, throw in some great performances by relatively new-comer Kate Hudson (who gives the best of her career that I've seen thus far on DVD, that is) and veteran Francis McDormand, you've got a critically acclaimed movie about rock 'n roll. It's probably the best and most realistic portrayal of rock 'n roll life I've yet seen (not that I would know anything about it). Be sure to read our note below about the forthcoming director's cut version of the film to be released on DVD in the near future.
Video & Audio
The image quality of this anamorphic widescreen DVD is excellent. The colors are accurate and saturated, while shadow detail is very well rendered. The "Almost Famous" DVD comes with both Dolby Digital 5.1 and DTS 5.1 soundtracks. Both soundtracks are well balanced and effective, and the dialogue is crystal clear. Though the use of the surround sound channels were generally conservative, in one scene the thunder suddenly rocked the on-screen action (no, we won't tell you what chapter). The sound of that thunder caught me off guard and was so engaging in the DTS surround sound version, that it literally rocked me off of my seat.
Recommendation
"Almost Famous" is a wonderful coming-of-age story about a young aspiring music critic. It gives an insightful behind-the-scenes look at a band struggling to make it big and the fans who devote themselves to the music. Don't miss this the performances of Kate Hudson and Frances McDormand. It's yet another good DVD title from DreamWorks.
Director's Cut Coming Soon: To both Cameron Crowe and DreamWorks' credit, they announced well before the release date of this DVD that Cameron Crowe is planning to work on a director's cut version of this film and release it to DVD in the near future. Keep this fact in mind if you are seriously considering buying this title. Check our Upcoming Releases page or our Commentary & Tidbits page for more information about this director's cut version. (Some studios have been known to keep quiet about such plans, in light that they would get some consumers to buy both versions of the DVD.)
Editor's Note: Cameron Crowe's director's cut is called "The Bootleg Cut" and will be released on December 4, 2001. See our Upcoming Releases page for additional information and pre-ordering information.
Courtesy of Video Software Dealers Association (VSDA).
Buy
the "Almost Famous" DVD at: |
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Rent it at NetFlix.com
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NetFlix.com "Unlimited" DVD Rental Service Visit the DreamWorks web site.
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