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PLEASE NOTE: Michael D's is currently in READ ONLY MODE. Anything submitted will simply not be written to the database.
Lots of stuff is still broken, but at least reviews can now be looked up and read.
Rage-Video Link (1986)

Rage-Video Link (1986)

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Released 20-May-2003

Cover Art

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Details At A Glance

General Extras
Category Music Main Menu Audio & Animation
Menu Animation & Audio
Audio Commentary-Malcolm Dome
Introduction-Malcolm Dome
Rating Rated PG
Year Of Production 1986
Running Time 57:16 (Case: 55)
RSDL / Flipper No/No Cast & Crew
Start Up Menu
Region Coding 4 Directed By None Given
Studio
Distributor

Warner Vision
Starring Peavy Wagner
Manni Schmidt
Chris Efthimiadis
Case Amaray-Transparent-Secure Clip
RPI $34.95 Music None Given


Video Audio
Pan & Scan/Full Frame Full Frame English Dolby Digital 5.1 (448Kb/s)
English Audio Commentary Dolby Digital 5.1 (448Kb/s)
Widescreen Aspect Ratio None
16x9 Enhancement No
Video Format 576i (PAL)
Original Aspect Ratio 1.33:1 Miscellaneous
Jacket Pictures No
Subtitles English Smoking No
Annoying Product Placement No
Action In or After Credits No

NOTE: The Profanity Filter is ON. Turn it off here.

Plot Synopsis

    I had never heard of the band Rage, and honestly mistakenly requested this DVD to review because I thought the DVD would show video clips from the early morning Saturday show Rage on the ABC. What I received in the mail surprised me, since this DVD is the video footage of one of the last performances of heavy metal band Rage.

    As described by journalist Malcolm Dome, the band formed in the early 1980s. Their debut album was released in 1985, but the band fell apart soon after. Peavy Wagner, the singer in the concert, put the band back together with the members you see in this concert, and they released five albums between 1988 and 1993. This concert is one of their last performances before the band again broke up.

    The music here is strictly for heavy metal fans, with thumping loud guitars and bass, and screaming vocals. Perfect for head-banging, but not my cup of tea.

Don't wish to see plot synopses in the future? Change your configuration.

Track Listing

1. Shame On You
2. Don't fear The Winter
3. Certain Days
4. Suicide
5. Band Interview
6. Refuge
7. Baby I'm Your Nightmare
8. Down By Law
9. Firestorm
10. Behind-The -Scenes 1
11. Solitary Man
12. Behind-The-Scenes 2
13. Medley

Transfer Quality

Video

    The video quality presented in this DVD varies from good to very poor.

    The feature concert is presented at an aspect ratio of 1.33:1, which I assume to be the intended ratio. When recorded back in 1993, this would surely have been purely for the TV and VHS market.

    Sharpness levels for the most part are quite good, with the feature concert being of sufficient sharpness. However, the sharpness levels (and overall quality) drops during certain cutscenes. Grain is in the same boat, with the feature concert being adequate and the cutscenes very hazy and soft. Black levels and shadow detail during the cutscenes are thrown out the window, but again the quality during the concert footage is adequate. These cutscenes were mostly taken with handheld cameras or some sort of home video camera and so the quality is quite bad.

    Colours aren't too bad, although the sudden change in lighting coupled with the strobe light effects made the colours seem a little dramatic at times. There is some over-saturation in parts. As expected, colours during the cutscenes was quite muted and drab.

    Film artefacts were minimal during the feature, but again the cutscenes and home video shots were riddled with lines, flecks, and scratches. See Chapter 11 with the home video of their trip to the US for examples of how bad the video can be. I did not detect any edge enhancement or aliasing in the transfer.

    English subtitles are provided, but are only used when the band speaks German to the crowd. Subtitles would have been nice during the actual songs so that at least I would understand more of what the band was screaming...I mean singing.

Video Ratings Summary
Sharpness
Shadow Detail
Colour
Grain/Pixelization
Film-To-Video Artefacts
Film Artefacts
Overall

Audio

    An English Dolby Digital 5.1 (448 Kb/s) is provided, and is of adequate quality.

    The front soundstage is quite effective and put to good use. Stereo separation was good in parts and the crowd ambience emanated with a nice spatiality from the front speakers. It is a pity that the crowd ambience was not really mixed into the surrounds to open up the whole soundfield a bit more.

    The surrounds are in constant use with the music, but it just seems that some music was simply mixed there with no real discrete instrument or crowd ambience carefully considered. The subwoofer gets a pretty good workout and never appears overpowering.

    The music itself is loud (as you would expect for a heavy metal concert), with constant thumping and screaming. I have to admit that very quickly each song started to sound the same, with the same sort of guitars screeching, and drums pounding, and the singer screaming. I found the vocals difficult to hear at times, and there were many times that I had no idea what the lyrics were (subtitles were really needed here!). I don't think this is a fault of the transfer, but just the nature of the music. No audio synchronisation problems were present.

Audio Ratings Summary
Dialogue
Audio Sync
Clicks/Pops/Dropouts
Surround Channel Use
Subwoofer
Overall

Extras

Menu Animation & Audio

    Some music from the concert and small video clips of the band members are shown when viewing the main menu and sub-menus.

Audio Commentary-Malcolm Dome

    The "audio commentary" is not a running commentary, but simply an introduction and very brief synopsis given by journalist Malcolm Dome at the beginning of each song.

Introduction-Malcolm Dome

    Journalist Malcolm Dome provides a short introduction to the band, and provides a bit of trivia regarding the history of the band.

R4 vs R1

NOTE: To view non-R4 releases, your equipment needs to be multi-zone compatible and usually also NTSC compatible.

    I could not find any evidence of the existence of this DVD in Region 1. I did find some references to a Region 0 version, and this appears to be identical. For fans wanting this DVD, go for the Region 4 version.

Summary

    I personally had never heard of the band Rage, and I so did not really know what to expect when I played the DVD. I am sure there are fans in Australia somewhere, and this release of Rage - The Video Link is strictly for them.

    The video quality is adequate during the feature concert, but very poor during the cutscenes.

    The audio quality is adequate, but is certainly not of demo quality.

    The extras are nothing worth talking about.

Ratings (out of 5)

Video
Audio
Extras
Plot
Overall

© Chanh-Khai Ly (My biodegradable bio)
Saturday, August 30, 2003
Review Equipment
DVDOnkyo DV-SP500, using Component output
DisplayRK-32HDP81 HDTV. Calibrated with Video Essentials. This display device is 16x9 capable.
Audio DecoderOnkyo TX-SR600 with DD/DD-EX/DTS/DTS-ES matrix and discrete. Calibrated with Video Essentials.
AmplificationOnkyo TX-SR600
SpeakersKef KHT 2005 5.1 Home Theatre System

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