Martin Scorsese Presents The Blues - A Musical Journey

Martin Scorsese Presents The Blues - A Musical Journey

Martin Scorsese Presents The Blues - A Musical Journey
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DVD Cover Information

Actor: Carl Lumbly, John Mayall, Mya, Taj Mahal
Brand: Sony
Cinematographer: John L. Demps Jr.
Cinematographer: Richard Pearce
Editor: Leticia Giffoni
Producer: Alex Gibney
Producer: Belinda Clasen
Producer: Belinda Morrison
Producer: Jeff Scheftel
Producer: Lisa Day
Producer: Margaret Bodde
Producer: Martin Scorsese
Producer: Melissa Robledo
Producer: Mikaela Beardsley
Producer: Robert Gordon
Producer: Samson Mucke
Producer: Susan Motamed
Producer: Ulrich Felsberg
DVD: Region Code 1
Audio: English (Original Language), Dolby Digital 5.1
Format: Anamorphic, Black & White, Box set, Color, Compilation, Dolby, DVD, NTSC
Picture Format: 1.85:1
Running Time: 780 minutes
DVD Release Date: 2003-10-14
Audience Rating: NR (Not Rated)
Studio: Sony

Movie Reviews of Martin Scorsese Presents The Blues - A Musical Journey

Movie Review: Potential Unrealised
Summary: 2 Stars

Have to agree with reviwers who note the fabulous idea Scorcese had here, and, indeed, the first taste, retracing the roots with Corey Harris, promises much, whets the appetite. 'Back To Memphis' is a fascinating tale of veteran Bluesmen revisting the famous Beal Street, now unrecognisable to most of them, and featuring healthy swabs of B B king. And yet, and yet, remove the archival stuff, which are in the main tiny snippets, and the story line gluing these elpisodes together is sparse, and the acting in some(Burnett's, Devil's Fire), downright embarassing. As the same archival stuff begins to reappear in several chapters, you start wondering about the depth of research that has transpired. I think, for all the merits, I'd have preferred a condensed two hours of pure performance and a tighter script.

Summary of Martin Scorsese Presents The Blues - A Musical Journey

It may have been underrated when first broadcast on PBS on consecutive nights in the fall of '03, but executive producer Martin Scorsese's homage to the blues is a truly significant, if imperfect, achievement. "Musical journey" is an apt description, as Scorsese and the six other directors responsible for these seven approximately 90-minute films follow the blues--the foundation of jazz, soul, R&B, and rock & roll--from its African roots to its Mississippi Delta origins, up the river to Memphis and Chicago, then to New York, the United Kingdom, and beyond. Some of the films (like Wim Wenders's The Soul of a Man and Charles Burnett's Warming by the Devil's Fire) use extensive fictional film sequences, generally to good effect. There's also plenty of documentary footage, interviews, and contemporary studio performances recorded especially for these films.

The last are among the best aspects of the DVDs, as the bonus material features the set's only complete tunes. Lou Reed's "See That My Grave Is Kept Clean" and the ElektriK Mud Kats' (with Chuck D. of Public Enemy) hip-hop-cum-traditional updating of Muddy Waters's "Mannish Boy" are among the best of them; on the other hand, a rendition of "Cry Me a River" by Lulu (?!) is a curious choice, even with Jeff Beck on hand. The absence of lengthier vintage clips, meanwhile, is the principal drawback. For that reason alone, Clint Eastwood's Piano Blues is the best of the lot; a musician himself, Eastwood simply lets the players play, which means we get extensive file footage of the likes of Art Tatum, Oscar Peterson, and Nat "King" Cole, as well as new performances by Ray Charles, Dr. John, and others. Overall, this is a set to savor, a worthwhile investment guaranteed to grow on you over the course of repeated viewings. --Sam Graham

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