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Phish - Bittersweet Motel | |||||||||||
  enlarge | Director: Todd Phillips Actors: Trey Anastasio, Jon Fishman, Mike Gordon, Page Mcconnell Studio: Image Entertainment Category: DVD List Price: Buy New: $14.95 You Save: $10.04 (40%) New (36) Used (13) from $11.83 Rating:  59 reviewsSales Rank: 22032 Format: Color, Dolby, Dts Surround Sound, Dvd-video, Letterboxed, Widescreen, Ntsc Language: English (Original Language) Rating: NR (Not Rated) Region: 1 Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1 Picture Format: Letterbox Number Of Discs: 1 Running Time: 82 Minutes Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.2 Dimensions (in): 7.4 x 5.3 x 0.6 MPN: 9783 UPC: 014381978322 EAN: 0014381978322 ASIN: B000059H8N Theatrical Release Date: March 6, 2001 Release Date: March 6, 2001 Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days | ||||||||||
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| Editorial Reviews: Amazon.com Phishheads may be hard-pressed to define what they love about their idols, the Vermont-based jam band Phish, but they know it when they see it--and hear it. And Bittersweet Motel, the 2000 documentary by Todd Phillips, serves up exactly what they want: generous dollops of the band's free-form, jazz-laced music and by-the-numbers backstage glimpses of the musicians relaxing during rehearsals, between sets, and after hours. The 84-minute film follows a year in the life of the band, from the happening called the Great Went in Maine in August 1997 through the band's 1998 European tour (but inexplicably, the film begins with Europe and ends with the Great Went). Along the way, viewers are treated to long snatches of band favorites like "Wilson" and "Down with Disease." Affable singer-guitarist Trey Anastasio is the focus of most of the nonmusical scenes, trying to explain the band's cult appeal, or griping about lunk-headed critics who are all too dismissive of the band's often-stellar virtuosity. It's clear that wearing the mantle of the Grateful Dead--especially since the 1995 death of Jerry Garcia--is a mixed blessing for Anastasio, who bristles in one interview about Dead comparisons. Phillips, who directed the fascinating but discredited documentary Frat House and the Tom Green vulgarfest Road Trip, does have an eye for the absurdly comic, especially evident in the few scenes he features of stoner Phishheads, who follow the band from show to show. Bittersweet Motel may not earn the band any new converts, but fans will find more than enough to satisfy those long dry spells between tours. --Anne Hurley Description Bittersweet Motel takes a look at the iconoclastic musicians of Phish, one of rock and roll's most successful touring bands, a group Rolling Stone Magazine has called "the most important band of the '90s." This 80-minute documentary tracks the band over the course of a year--on and off stages across the United States, Europe and at home in Vermont. The film wraps with an extensive section devoted to one of Phish's grand festivals, "The Great Went," where 70,000 fans descend on the tiny village of Limestone, Maine, for a spectacular multi-day musical event. Director Todd Phillips, best known for his groundbreaking films, Sundance Award winner Frat House and the blockbuster comedy Road Trip, reveals the amazing phenomenon of the band--their music, loyal fans and spectacular live shows. Phillips presents a compelling film that every music fan will find fascinating. | |||||||||||
Customer Reviews: Read 54 more reviews... Easy December 15, 2008D. Garcia (Los Angeles) 1) Rockstars are not always that interesting. I have friends with more interesting personalities and viewpoints. 2) Not enough good music. I've seen them play some damn good stuff. Sheech they followed them around long enough. Obviously the filmakers don't know when a band is "on" because they didn't put much of that in. As per usual in music movies, we'd like to see the BAND play. For some damn reason camera people always seem to think they are making an Orson Wells movie. Camera people: keep your egos out of it. Too many ill considered close ups at the wrong times. Too many shots of idiotic stuff like the parking lots, helicopters, the audience and everything EXCEPT the band INTERACTING. Groupies are less than boring, they're pathetic. The backstage stuff is crashingly boring. One wonders if a monkey edited the movie. Gave it 3 stars because I don't think it was the band's fault. Trey Excellente!! May 25, 2006John Jackson (los angeles) 5 out of 5 found this review helpful This is a fantastic DVD that gives you a taste of the wonderful world of Phish. I don't understand the statements of some reviewers saying that Todd Phillips hates Phish. He did a freakin' movie about them for cryin' out loud. And a pretty damn good one. Trey dominates much of the footage because (guess what Phish fans)...He dominates the band. I've seen and read countless interviews, and generally he's the one who has the most to say. It's not his out-of-control ego, he just happens to be more verbose than the other 3 guys. And he is also the primary songwriter of the band and the obviuos "ringmaster" of the group in their live performances. I miss Phish just as much as the next guy, but enough with all this Trey-hating. He is a BIG part of what made Phish so special (and may again.) I thought this film was great. It captured the scene, the band, the music the personality. Plus it was majorly cool to see the Great Wendt and remember what it was like to be there (that was actually my first Phish concert and my life was never the same afterwards.) If you don't know Phish and are curious, check out this film. If you are so hardcore that you argue about which was the best version of My Sweet One, then you'll probably complain about this film.  Really Does Not Do the Band Justice November 11, 2005A. Maness 3 out of 4 found this review helpful I bought this video a long time ago, and immediately sold it on ebay. I watched it again recently, and still do not like it. Why? As many reviewers have stated it is the Trey show. However, I really wonder if it was Trey's ego that took over the movie, or whether the other band members didn't like doing a movie? I say this becaue Fish stated in an interview that at first he was for the movie and then changed his mind and didn't want to do it. Maybe the rest of the band didn't like how it was produced. So instead of scrapping the movie, Trey jumped and tried to complete it. To save face for the band? However, if Trey (and his ego) took over the movie, then I think offers some explanation of why the band split. Aside from that, I gave the movie 2 stars because it does give fans a glimpse (however small) of the band off stage, and tries to incorporate the fans. The only good parts are at then end. However, the movie, in many respects, tries to be like the Grateful Dead Movie. In that respect it fails. Ironically the director asks Trey about this subject (i.e. Phish's similarity to the Dead), which goes to show how little the homework was put into the project; why not ask about Zappa? If you want to see a good jam band movie see the original... The Grateful Dead Movie. If your a phan of Phish, listen to the live shows.  Bittersweet Motel October 7, 2005Collin Watters (Staunton, VA) 2 out of 4 found this review helpful This video shows the true character of the members of the band. The video shows a lot of behind the scenes type footage including interviews, conversations and candid footage from the road. The mixture of these elements mixed with the raw live footage exposes the reallity of the bands personality come to life. This is the best video for people who don't know a lot about phish and want to understand the legendary phenomena. Bittersweet Motel August 31, 2005tanner llewellyn (Manakin Sabot, VA United States) 3 out of 5 found this review helpful How a film-maker who has such obvious disdain for the band could have made such an entertaining documentary is pretty obvious when you think about it...it's Phish for pete's sake! If you already know you don't like Phish, then you wouldn't be reading this review so screw you. If you love Phish music and like laughing at weirdo hippies then this dvd is for you. don't worry about what songs/jams are shown and which ones were ommitted...that's missing the point..it's all one big organic whole. it's the music that counts and the subtle messages you glean from it. | |||||||||||