Attending concerts is still only a dream for most people, as the nation embarks on Year 2 of the pandemic.
But that doesn’t mean that people can’t enjoy concerts … on DVD. “Austin City Limits Country” (Time Life) is the perfect antidote for what ails music fans desperately wanting to watch quality music. The 10-disc set is the first-ever DVD collection highlighting five, count ‘em five, decades of uncut songs recorded live by the greatest that American country music has ever seen.
We’re talking about 164 performances, including collaborations, from 1974 to 2018. The boxed set is available only at TimeLife.com/ACL.
All the spectacular performers that one would surmise would be included are, indeed, accounted for on this DVD, including Johnny Cash, Dolly Parton, Keith Urban, Willie Nelson, George Strait, Reba McEntire, Tim McGraw, Vince Gill, Alan Jackson, Loretta Lynn, Alabama, Chris Stapleton, Brad Paisley, Kacey Musgraves, Miranda Lambert, Garth Brooks, Waylon Jennings, Charley Pride, Marty Robbins, Buck Owens, Brooks & Dunn, Dwight Yoakam, Alison Krauss & Union Station, Kris Kristofferson, Jerry Reed, Roger Miller, Eddie Rabbitt, Tammy Wynette, The Judds, the Gatlin Brothers, George Jones, Glen Campbell, Tanya Tucker, Ronnie Milsap, Randy Travis, Patty Loveless, Ricky Skaggs, Trisha Yearwood, Carl Perkins, John Denver, Faith Hill, Martina McBride, Lee Ann Womack, Kenny Chesney, Eric Church, Emmylou Harris, and many more.
Duets include Sheryl Crow and Kristofferson, Pure Prairie League and Gill, and the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band with both Helen and Anita Carter, and with Denver.
Favorite songs, of course, are a personal matter. But Milsap’s “Lost in the ‘50s Tonight,” Parton’s “I Will Always Love You,” and Chesney’s “Summertime” hold an extra allure.
Bonus features are divine. There are interviews galore, including with Parton, Toby Keith, Sara Evans, and 20 others (mostly those listed above). Also, an entire DVD is devoted to the 1974 Austin City Limits pilot episode featuring Nelson. A collectible memory book is of expected high quality.
The DVD aces the ever-important element of music: sound. It’s pristine.
You can’t get much better than this 10-DVD set. Well, actually you can. A deluxe edition, featuring 291 performances on 20 discs, is also available at TimeLife.com/ACL.
Other titles
Dark comedy fans rejoice: “Wonder Showzen: The Complete Series” (CBS Home Entertainment) has arrived as a 16-episode, four-disc set. Anyone who rolls their eyes at the memory of educational PBS shows from the 1970s loves this parody of that genre, made up of old cartoons and educational films plus puppets from one’s worst nightmares. Bonus features include auditions, outtakes, guest commentaries, and featurettes.
The long wait it worth it regarding “Little England” (Corinth Films). This melodrama represented Greece’s entry for best international film in 2014. It’s easy to see why. The period piece (1930s) is set on the Greek island Andros, also called Little England because its people imitate the social organization of the English naval empire. Two sisters fall in love with the same seaman, with tragedy progressing into the cusp of World War II. The dreamy cinematography of island and seas is simply amazing.
Douglas Kirkland, age 86, is a legend. “That Click” (Omnibus Entertainment) is a legendary DVD that tells the story of Kirkland. His style for photographing was unique, and it showed in his legendary shots of Marilyn Monroe, Elizabeth Taylor, Farrah Fawcett, Brigitte Bardot, Judy Garland, and Audrey Hepburn. This documentary was nominated for best U.S. documentary at the American Documentary Festival and features interviews with Nicole Kidman, Sharon Stone, Andy Garcie, Michelle Williams, and many others. The film includes his career from the 1950s at Look magazine to current times at Vanity Fair.
“Mafia Inc” (Film Movement) shows that mobs can from anywhere, including our ultra-friendly neighbor to the north, Canada. The film, adapted from the best-selling book, is based on true events of Montreal mafia boss Frank Paterno in the 1990s. The activities, both legitimate and not, are conducted worldwide. Italy, Greece, Canada, and Venezuela are all involved in what becomes a war between two families.
“Fatale” (Lions Gate Entertainment) is a provocative psychological thriller that, in normal years, would be sweeping the nation in theaters. The film actually has been on 1,100 screens, impressive during these COVID days. The all-star cast includes Hilary Swank, Mike Colter, and Michael Ealy. Swank plays a police detective who has entangled a sports agent (Ealy) in an investigation. A dangerous game of cat and mouse ensues, with life-changing ramifications. Blu-ray special features including a director’s commentary, making-of featurette, alternate ending, and more.