They Might Be Giants - Direct from Brooklyn
by John Flansburgh, Adam Bernstein, Nico Beyer, Lidia Pryzluska, J. Otto Seibold

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DVD Reviews of They Might Be Giants - Direct from Brooklyn

DVD Review: Well, whaddya know ... these guys are kinda cute!
Summary: 5 Stars

A clip-by-clip guide (in full color, unless specified otherwise):
1) "Dr. Worm" (1998): Fast-paced black & white clip with goofy cartoon sequences.
2) "Snail Shell" (1994): Cool clip, shot in Germany at what looks like an old-timey TV studio.
3) "The Guitar" (1992): Shifts between classy b&w and vibrant color; Flansy shares the spotlight with Linnell (who wrangles with a bass guitar) and guest vocalist Laura Cantrell.
4) "The Statue Got Me High" ('92): TMBG's first big-budget; the space motif cleverly builds on Apollo 18's CD packaging.
5) "Istanbul" (1990): Alternates between 2-D and 3-D animation; utterly bizarre.
6) "Birdhouse in Your Soul" ('90): Dreamlike; watch out for the "Stop rock video" signs!
7) "They'll Need a Crane" (1988): Shot in NY's Central Park; shifts between the Johns and some elderly gentlemen performing the song (color) and boating on a lake (b&w); classy, and as conventional as They get.
8) "Purple Toupee" ('88): Alternates between the Johns rocking out (b&w/tinted) and Coney Island carnival footage (color).
9) "Ana Ng" ('88): Shifts between the Johns in misery at their desks (b&w) and the Johns goofing off outside (color); features no lip-synch (!).
10) "Hotel Detective" (1986): Alternates between the Johns rocking out (Linnell on the sax, Flansy on a Bo Diddley guitar) and super-cute animated sequences.
11) "Don't Let's Start" ('86): Frenetic b&w clip filmed at the site of the '64 World's Fair in NY.
12) "Puppet Head" ('86): TMBG's exuberant, no-budget debut (colorful, but with some grainy b&w shots); and have I mentioned the boyish good looks of the Johns?
13) "Particle Man" (from the "Tiny Toon Adventures" cartoon series): A hilariously literal interpretation of the lyrics, set in a wrestling ring.
14) "Istanbul" (from "TTA"): Not as well-crafted as the Johns' own visual representation of the song, but actually funnier.

Generally, the imaginative, surreal clips are about using video as a creative outlet rather than as a mere marketing tool; hence, no selling of sex, and no straight "performance" clips. The various directors (including Flansburgh himself on "Dr. Worm" and "The Guitar"!) load these videos with witty visual surprises; the Johns supply utterly unique choreography, unbridled enthusiasm, charm, intelligence, and a refreshing lack of vanity. Among the DVD extras: The Johns' audio commentary is not especially insightful, but nonetheless amusing and filled with fun trivia; the 2002 live clip of "Why Does the Sun Shine" is notable only for the presence of Their fire-breathing tour manager; and the three audio tracks ("McGyver," "Your Mom's Alright," a 2002 remix of "Man It's So Loud in Here") are just okay. I recommend this disc to anyone who hasn't seen these fine videos yet, and anyone who has worn out their VHS copy. I suppose the coolest thing about this disc is that it gives you the option of watching the videos straight through (see the "watch all" option on the main menu), or of watching one clip at a time (see the "watch one" menu) in whatever order you want and however many times you want.

Description of They Might Be Giants - Direct from Brooklyn

Alternative Rock Music CDs

• Music > Styles
• Pop
• Rock