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List Price: $19.95 | | Label: Chrome Dreams Video
Salesrank: 100316
Released: April 8, 2003 |
| Our Price: $8.66 |
| Used Price: $0.32 |
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MPAA Rating: NR (Not Rated)
Media: DVD |
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Editorial Review:
Bursting out of the L.A. glam scene in the late 1980's, Guns N' Roses have gone on to epitomise everything that a rock band should be. Now, some 15 years later and with only one original member, they have somehow managed to retain an enormous army of de
Sex N' Drugs N' Rock N' Roll Reviews:
I rented this to bash it, and I walked away surprised that it had some very redeeming qualities 
2006-07-10 - I rented this movie fully planning to write a scathing review of it. As a two-decade fan of Guns N' Roses, I am disgusted at the recent releases which have absolutely no new information about the band, and just regurgitate already-published facts. As a fan for about 75% of my lifetime, I am as qualified, if not more, than many of the hangers-on who are quoted in these dreadful books. I have Spotlight 1-star reviews on several GNR "exposes," so I rented this film planning to bash it.
Does this DVD have its warts? Absolutely. Is it a good intro to GNR? No way. But if you are a fan, someone who knows the versions of events as Axl tells them, as Slash tells them, as the media tells them, then this is an invaluable addition to your arsenal of GNR information.
We'll do the warts first. (1) There is only one GNR interview shown, and it is a tenth-generation VHS recording. (2) The whole thing is shot like a cheesy music video, with color-effects and blurred lights and bad, bad stuff that no one has done since the eighties. (3) Random hangers-on appear, such as a girl whose credit is going to high school in LA in the late eighties. (4) There is an attempt at telling the GNR story in a linear fashion, but interview subjects jump ahead and back and ruin the flow. Editing could have helped this. (5) Some interview subjects are just rotten, punctuating their sentences with question marks. Do I really want to hear a valley girl describing the original Appetite cover in sentences with question marks? Sentences which don't actually describe the entire cover? Seriously! At least act like your hanger-on, non-expert interview subjects know what they are talking about. (6) There is some totally moronic hanger-on-of-a-producer who claims that GNR walked into his studio in Bermuda shorts and they were totally Valley Boys, whereas Marilyn Manson was a true freak. WHAT?!? First off, GNR was never "Valley." Only 1 out of 5 came from the Los Angeles area. Trust me, West Lafayette, Indiana is no valley, nor is Slash's home in England. This pathetic attempt at an "expose" falls flat on its face and lacks any credibility.
Now, for the reasons why I actually went out and bought a used copy of this DVD: (1) It is worth watching at least once just for the comments of tattoo artist Robert Benedetti, who did most of Axl's tattoos, and several for other band members. Of course, he is identified as Robert from Sunset Tattoo, when he is actually Robert Benedetti from Sunset Strip Tattoo. Could these people not even identify their subjects correctly and completely?? (2) Music industry experts provide outstanding commentary on the scene, including the pros and cons of the "Pay to Play" booking system, which has since fallen out of popularity. (3) Unlike other GNR biographies (namely, The Prettiest Star), the director does not accept one story about the formation of the band, choosing instead to portray the conflicting versions, with constructive commentary.
This is no end-all source on GNR. If you are a Ph.D.-level student of GNR and can view this objectively, you will learn some new information. Such as the fact that Appetite was (coincidentally) released on the day of the great LA earthquake.
not that good 
2006-03-25 - this documentary is not a help at all to all GN'R fans..though it gives some hi lights on Gn'R life..but it's only a little.. they don't even show the members of GNR..
Brilliant dvd!!! 
2005-12-07 - This is a fantastic documentary, telling the full story of Axl and the boys and how they met and first got together in LA, it has some great piccies from the early days and also interviews with those that worked closely with them at the very beginning!!!
Unusual look at an unusual band! 
2005-12-05 - I enjoyed this film about the greatest Rock band ever!!! Lots of photos & lots of interviews with people that knew them. Worth watching for any G N'R fan!!!
Loved this film!!!!
2005-12-01 - I liked this film. I love GnR. IT showed why Axl is such a crazy soul. They were the best Rock act ever!!!
