Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #1631 in DVD
• Released on: 2008-11-03
• Rating: Suitable for 12 years and over
• Format: PAL
• Original language: English
• Subtitled in: English
• Number of discs: 1
• Running time: 118 minutes

Synopsis
The music of the Rolling Stones has lit up the soundtrack to so many Martin Scorsese films ('Gimme Shelter' has appeared in no less than three of his features--GOODFELLAS, CASINO, and THE DEPARTED) that it's little surprise to find the director teaming up with the legendary rockers for this concert recording. SHINE A LIGHT begins with a few glimpses of the preparation that went into the recording of the show, which was staged over two nights at New York City's Beacon Theatre in 2006. Scorsese also includes some candid footage of the Stones doing a pre-show meet-and-greet with guests Bill and Hillary Clinton, which highlights some of the different personality traits in the band. Keith Richards and Ron Wood are the clowns, always goofing around; Mick Jagger is the consummate professional, always polite to a fault; Charlie Watts caries a real air of dignity, as befits someone who enjoys a dual career as a noted jazz musician.
The bulk of the movie is dedicated to the multi-camera shoot at the Beacon, which captures the Stones playing some of their biggest hits and a few lesser-known numbers. Special guests such as Jack White, Buddy Guy, and Christina Aguilera are ushered on at various points in the show, and the concert footage is broken up by some amusing vintage footage of the band. By using so many cameras, Scorsese captures a side of the Stones that is rarely seen, such as Watts turning to camera and puffing out his cheeks and Richards offering encouraging words to Jack White as he exits the stage. SHINE A LIGHT provides a welcome glimpse into the Stones' world at this advanced stage in their career, and continues Scorsese's obsession (see also NO DIRECTION HOME and THE LAST WALTZ) with documenting some of the most influential characters in rock and roll.

Customer Reviews

Right up there with the best
This is a fantastic concert film of The Stones' residence at The Beacon Theatre, New York, directed by Martin Scorcese

The film is a mix of documentary type clips of the making of the concert, from stage design to setlist, interspersed with archive footage of The Stones and a mixture of favourites and lesser known songs

The film is very much up close and personal and what comes across is how much The Stones seem to be enjoying themselves.

The highlights for me are Loving Cup (with Jack White), Little T&A, Satisfaction and Brown Sugar

This dvd is even better than the Theatre disc from The Four Flicks Stones dvd boxset

Buy it, turn it up and enjoy !

Want to see the Rolling Stones live?
This is a one-off recent concert which is fun, has all the big recognisable songs, guest spots by Jack White III and Christina Aguillera, and some lovely old footage from forty years before. The Scorsese bits were a little too staged for my liking, but the fact these guys are even walking let alone jumping up and down and wiggling their hips well into their sixties is a testament to their drive and the timelessness of their music.

You'll love this if you're a real Stones fan: the harsh movie lighting highlights the dimples in Keith's arms and the gnarled state of his knuckles, accentuates the lines on Mick's face and the sheer age of good ole Charlie Watts, who does a good job in appearing bemused during the gig itself and in the black and white footage.

The Stones executive-produced this film themselves, but it's too easy to pass it off as another money-spinner because it is fun and although the sound quality is not amazing, you do get a chance to get up close and personal with some of the oldest rockers on the planet.

A nice gift for a Stones fan...

Could do so much better...
There's a handful of good bits in this (if you will) rockumentary, over which 'All Down The Line' from 1971's 'Exile on Main Street' stands head and shoulders; it's taut, driven and completely fabulous, and reminds you why the Stones were was once considered the planet's greatest rock and roll band - and, unfortunately, when they were last considered genuinely vital, in both senses of the word. In addition, there's a great cameo from Buddy Guy, who stalks on stage and immediately looks like the real deal, shouting, singing and playing up a storm, reminding people what the blues sound like and making Sir Mick seem suddenly lightweight (though in fairness he does play some pretty decent harmonica on the song in question). There's Keith singing 'You've Got The Silver' with some feeling, backed up by Ronnie's better-than-efficient slide. Interesting that it's one of the few times in the film when the Stones look and sound like a band (rather than journeyman backup to a barely-tolerated frontman).

Unfortunately there's an awful lot of bad stuff. To name but some: Jagger's endless prancing and queening and shaking his scrawny tush about (OK, you're 65, Mick, we get it) Keith still pretending to be able to smoke a fag while playing (because it's, like, cool) and looking (I can't take the credit for this, unfortunately) like something that's been pulled out of Brian May and Anita Dobson's plughole. Ronnie still looking like the hired hand after 30 years or whatever it is, Charlie looking like he's all ready to smack Mick one (again) at any time.

Most of the playing is average-to-deplorable. 'Faraway Eyes' in particular is an almost unlistenable combination of Jagger's 'singing' (for which, on this song at least, 'mannered' is too small a word) and Ronnie's pedal steel (which he plays, or rather tortures, like a man who'd only been introduced to the instrument in the dressing room). Lots of really duff songs ('She Was Hot', I ask you....). Pointless cameos by Jack White and Christina Aguilera. Gushing encounters with Bill Clinton. And Hillary. And Hillary's Mum. Very rock and roll, I'm sure. Pointless and randomly introduced archive clips, most of which are tediously familiar. Fatuous 'what's the setlist' drama at the start to give Marty 'di Bargi' Scorsese something to emote over.

To say it's a curate's egg would be a kindness. Why is nearly all Rolling Stones output like this? Too many egos involved (and that of the knight of the realm in particular) perhaps? Avoid, and try instead to track down a copy of 25x5 which will remind you that there was once a really great band here, and one which could still, even at this late stage, do so much better.