Spanning the carers of both Guided By Voices and Robert Pollard’s side projects and now main projects after Guided by Voices split (including songs such as “Circle Saw Boys Club,”“Winston’s Atomic Bird” “Get Me Extra”) this D.V.D is ram-shackle attempt to make a video collage that demonstrates life on the road, performing and being in studio.
Edited with the finesse of a high-school project that you and your friends made, and think it’s “The funniest thing ever” then edited last minute (i.e. the night before) in Imovie. The video collage is embarrassing at times, and might actually make Beelzebub say his prayers at the porcelain alter.
It’s not all a waste of money. The special features are something else. Featuring some of the most surreal videos you will see. Echoing the work of Negativland and The Residents, the videos are a mix of found video clips, homemade footage and a healthy dose of copyright infringement has little ditties about Hamburger hills and Hot dog trees. For example, the videos feature a guitar playing alien, a guy dressed as a carrot singing deadpan to the camera, and the Yellow Submarine giving a rock assault on the state of Ohio.
Also, there’s a short film that features an interpretive dance for “Gold Star for Robot Boy”pretentiously done, but brilliantly edited. A comical (At least struck me as comical) retrospective with high contrast footage of flying doves, still photos and Muzak.
The film does not have much re-watch value, but the special features make it worth a watch.
Review By: Shawn Alexander Roy
[Rating: 3/5]
