Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #13126 in DVD
• Released on: 2008-04-21
• Rating: Exempt
• Aspect ratio: 1.33:1
• Formats: Colour, DVD-Video, PAL
• Original language: English
• Number of discs: 2

Synopsis
Few other pop singers have had the phenomenal adulation or staying power of Madonna. This collector's box set follows the pop-culture icon through every stage of her trendsetting career--from her early days as a raunchy temptress to her transformation to New Age mother then leotard-wearing disco diva--through rare footage and photographs. Her decades-long career--spanning music, film and fashion--is also analysed through live-performance clips, and interviews with rock critics and journalists.

Customer Reviews

2 DVD box set containing the 'Performance Review' & 'Sex Bomb' DVDs
Barcode: 0823564512693

Basically, if you already have Performance Review & Sex Bomb DVDs, there's very little point in getting this box set as it is basically these two DVDs - exactly the same as if you were to buy them individually - but packaged in a new card box. It's all presented nicely enough but the company that releases all these unnoficial DVDs is really just out there to get a bit more cash out of us fans by passing something old off as something new. That said, if you have neither, i definitely recommend getting this set as the two DVDs are pretty good and you get them for half the price they'd cost if you bought them both individually. But anyway, down to the review of the actual DVD content:

The Sex Bomb documentary was first released in 2005 and then re-released in 2006 as Girl Power - which is now out of print - the two DVDs are exactly the same

There's a load of unnoficial Madonna DVD documentaries out there so i wasn't sure what to expect of this one. At first, things seemed shaky, there's very little clips of Madonna actually talking or performing here - mostly just pictures. Plus, the talking heads are pretty random and like to waffle (a little daunting at first but not always necassarily a bad thing).

As the documentary got into the swing of things though, i started to realise it was actually pretty good. Compared to other unnoficial Madonna DVDs this is remakably well-made with a good picture quality and narration - none of the blurry home-video feel i've seen before. The visuals and backing music is simple and at times slightly cheesy but have a certain charm to them.

Not attempting to act as a biography, this DVD takes the preferable route of looking at Madonna's music and image and does so with a well-informed and critical eye. All the talking heads are clearly knowedgable about the subject and there views and opinions on Madonna are interesting even if you don't neccasarily agree with them. They talk about how Madonna emerged into the pop scene at the dawn of MTV and how she has since gone on to inspire countless others with her countless reinventions of musical genre and images.

Looking back, everything is well ordered and presented, giving equal time to all the phases of her career including the early 90s phase that many other documentaries/biographies gloss over. The 60 minute length is just right and nothing comes across as pretentious, on the whole presenting a programme that is informative and while it presents nothing new or particularly revalatory is definitely an enjoyable watch.

In addition, this documentary doesn't just present a by the numbers look at Madonna's career but shows us just why she's such a massive star - the impact she has on people, why her music works so well - in essence, Madonna from a fan's perspective. In that respect, this documentary is refreshingly different and makes an interesting and worthy addition to any Madonna fan's collection.

The Performance review DVD is probably the better out of the two:

This DVD presents perhaps the best take i've seen on the unnoficial documentary/biography format. Some of conversations with the talking heads are taken from the same interviews as used in the Sex Bomb/Girl Power one) so although you'd be forgiven for thinking you've already seen this one, it is actually different.

All the aforementioned talking heads are very knowledgable and present some interesting opinions on Madonna, on the whole this DVD is pretty praising to Madonna whereas others i've seen have been less biased. This one goes right from the first album through to Confessions and its accompanying tour although once again, as so many Madonna biographies/documentaries do, this pretty much skips out the fantastic Bedtime Stories album.

Once again, the crucial element to this DVD is that it focuses on Madonna as the singer and performer, not ever getting bogged down in personal issues ensuring the whole programme moves along at a good pace and remains interesting. And best of all, the production value of this DVD is high when compared to what many of the others have to offer. Pictures and videos aren't grainy or blurred and best of all we get lots of clips from Madonna's music videos and movies.

It's little touches like this that just give this package the feel that a fair deal of effort has actually gone into the making of it - and for that it is all the more enjoyable. If you haven't seen any of the unnoficial Madonna DVDs yet, i definitely recommend getting this one first as it really is one of the best of a mixed bunch.