Hard Vision |
Dee Snider"DeeVision - Twisted Forever Forever Twisted" DVD Originally released back in 1997 in VHS format, this live concert and Dee Snider documentary is now out on DVD and with a few new surprises. Re-mastered and with never-before-seen bonus segments, DeeVision makes for 110 minutes of viewing pleasure for even the not-so-hard-core Dee Snider fans. Wafting back and forth between concert footage of Dee with his S.M.F. project, to clips of some of the biggest names in rock talking about Dee such as: Sebastian Bach, Dave "The Snake" Sabo, Ronnie James Dio, Lemmy of Motorhead, and Stephen Pearcy, to name but a few, and Dee's introspective interview answers to questions about everything from Twisted Sister to the P.M.R.C. Dee Snider's S.M.F. (Sick Mother F*ckers) project was a band consisting of Dee as well as four lesser-known musicians to perform mostly Twisted Sister material. Imagine being in a cover band, only with your lead singer actually being the vocalist from the band that you're playing covers of. The footage of this particular S.M.F. concert has both good and bad qualities. As the show begins, the poor lighting and odd camera angles are slightly distracting. By the second song the lighting has improved considerably, but segments filmed by cameras farther back in the audience look little better than what a home video camera could produce. And the unusually great amount of behind-the-stage shots give viewers the opportunity to know what a show looks like to the band's drummer. But there are also lots of close-ups, and decent, clear shots as well. Also, as with any live show, there are fluctuations in the sound quality at times. This isn't a bad concert recording by any means, but it's almost an intimate portrayal as if the viewer is right there in the club watching S.M.F. live. Dee's performance is, as always, amazingly energetic and vivacious. Song after song he does a rigorous cardio workout of jumping, dancing, and head banging. Highlights of the performance include "The Kids Are Back," "Stay Hungry," and a larger-than-life rendition of "I Wanna Rock," a song I doubt is even possible to hear or see a bad version of. The energy Dee and the band create during "I Wanna Rock" is infectious; viewers will find themselves singing along at this point if they haven't begun doing so already. Also, an amazing performance of "We're Not Gonna Take It," and a smoking medley of "Come Out And Play," "Leader of the Pack," "I Believe in Rock and Roll," and "Be Chrool to Your Scuel." Other significant songs during this show are: "The Price" and "Wake Up (The Sleeping Giant)." Dee Snider, the man that Ronnie James Dio describes as "Gracious and intelligent," is both those things, but also very funny, multi-talented, tirelessly motivated, and a drug and alcohol-free wild man on stage. A man with little free time, Snider juggles several creative tasks all at once, including movie, sitcom, and book writing, his own line of clothing, restaurant development, Broadway show producing, acting cameos, and of course, music. "Don't limit yourself," says Snider, a man who truly practices what he preaches. Available on MVD Music Video, "DeeVision - Twisted Forever Forever Twisted" is a precious gem for Dee Snider and Twisted Sister fans, but also quite enjoyable to general fans of hard rock music as well. |