Queen: Greatest Video Hits 1 (2002) (V)

Directors:

Derek Burbidge
Denis deVallance
(more)

Release Date:

15 October 2002 (USA)

Genre:

Documentary | Music

Cast

John Deacon	...	Himself (as Queen)
Brian May	...	Himself (as Queen)
Freddie Mercury	...	Himself (as Queen)
Roger Taylor	...	Himself (as Queen)
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Melody Anderson	...	Dale Arden (segment "Flash") (archive footage)
Leon Greene	...	Colonel (segment "Flash") (archive footage)
Sam J. Jones	...	Flash Gordon (segment "Flash") (archive footage)
Mariangela Melato	...	Kala (segment "Flash") (archive footage)
Max von Sydow	...	The Emperor Ming (segment "Flash") (archive footage)

Directed by
Derek Burbidge		(video "We Are the Champions")
Denis deVallance		(videos "Fat Bottomed Girls", "Crazy Little Thing Called Love", "Love of My Life")
Rudi Dolezal		(videos "Good Old Fashioned Lover Boy" and "We Will Rock You [Fast Live Version]")
Bruce Gowers		(videos "Bohemian Rhapsody", "You're My Best Friend", "Somebody to Love", "Tie Your Mother Down", "Now I'm Here", "Keep Yourself Alive", "Liar")
Brian Grant		(video "Play the Game")
Keef		(video "Save Me")
David Mallet		(video "Bicycle Race")
Robin Nash		(video "Killer Queen")
Hannes Rossacher		(videos "Good Old Fashioned Lover Boy" and "We Will Rock You [Fast Live Version]")

Produced by
Lexi Godfrey	....	producer (segment "Bohemian Rhapsody")
Brian Grant	....	producer (segment "Crazy Little Thing Called Love")
Simon Lupton	....	producer
Rhys Thomas	....	producer

Sound Department
Justin Shirley-Smith	....	sound engineer

Production Companies

• EMI Films
• Hollywood Records
• Queen Productions Ltd.

Distributors

• EMI Entertainment
• Universal Music & Video Distribution (UMVD) (2002) (worldwide) (DVD)

Other Companies

• British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC)  video "Killer Queen"

Runtime:

200 min

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.78 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS

Certification:

UK:E

Company:

EMI Films

Trivia:

The videos were originally filmed in TV's classic 1.33:1 (4:3) aspect ratio, however for the DVD release they were presented in HDTV's 1.78:1 (16:9) format, which resulted in the top and bottom being cropped. This angered many Queen fans, since it resulted in the loss of screen information and the videos often being presented out of composition, especially in case of such music videos as "Bohemian Rhapsody", which heavily relied on picture composition.

Movie Connections:

Features "Top of the Pops" (1964)

Good, but not perfect

I this DVD is not bad, but there are a few mistakes:

1. The "widescreen" format is really annoying, as they cropped off quarter of the images. In such videos like in "Bohemian Rhapsody" it is really irritating. Because it was originally shot for normal 4:3 TVs at that time, I don't understand why it is better to show it like this. (It is the same "crime" when they crop down the half of the images of widescreen films for VHS.)

2. The DTS sound is not bad, but why there isn't Dolby Digital? Well, that is an unanswered question.

3. I think they promised something about "Bohemian Rhapsody alternate edit" in the Special Features (you know the version with the flames in it), but somehow they left it out of the final version.

4. The "Behind the Rhapsody" feature is also a deception. The documentary in which Brian shows us the original recording of the song is quite good, but in the "Making the Rhapsody" feature we watch the video over again with Roger's commentary about every half-minutes. The "Really the Best Song" option you can see only a few minutes of interviews with B. and R. but nothing else.

Although the DVD is a good one, it worth to buy it. The videos are all in perfect state. And it is a very good chance to see videos you cannot see anywhere in the last 20-30 years (like the original Killer Queen video, the uncensored Bicycle Race, and the extra videos (Keep Yourself Alive, Liar, etc.)). Also it is good for seeing about Queen itself which was UK's greatest band for 20 magical years.

P.S. GVH2. is better than this one, better videos and special features, but why no "Innuendo" videos on it?!