Search - MC5 - Kick Out the Jams on DVD

MC5 Film Could Have Been Much Better....

"The Woj" | Downers Grove, IL | 07/04/2005

(2 out of 5 stars)

"What you basically have here is old, old Super 8 movies of the band shown over a musical soundtrack of average bootleg quality at best. Some of the soundtrack (and I use the term soundtrack in the loosest possible sense) sounds like it may be from the legit "Kick Out The Jams" album, while other music may be from the various lo-fi cds that have circulated for years like the Strugis Armory & Saginaw Civic Center show.

Yes, there is MC5 concert footage, yes there is a concert soundtrack, but they are never from the same source. You might be hearing "Kick Out The Jams", but based on the video, you have no idea what the band is playing. The various concert shots are spliced in to mimic the actual concert, but the editing job is not very good. What your eyes are seeing is totally different from what you are hearing. There is often "non-live" footage mixed in which has absolutely nothing to do with anything. Finally the dvd is only 35 minutes long, pretty short considering the amount of material a dvd can contain.

For any newcomer to the MC5, who is reading this. Take a big pass here & drop your cash on the "Purity, Accuracy" box. For a diehard MC5 fan, seeing the video is really a must; especially with so little if any live video footage available, albeit "silent". It's like watching an old home movie while playing the "Kick Out The Jams" lp on the stereo. I guess I need to change my title for this review, I doubt the producers of this "film" could have done much considering the material they had to work with. I would actually rate it 2 1/2 stars if I could."

Can I give this zero stars?

Smiley | 05/01/2006

(1 out of 5 stars)

"I love the MC5 as much as anyone but this is ridiculous. I knew before I bought this that the audio and the video were not synced up; however, I thought that I would get 30 minutes of raw live footage of the MC5. WRONG! This DVD has maybe five minutes of live footage of the MC5 that has been annoyingly sped up, slowed down, colorized, looped, etc. This is absolutely and totally worthless. Just when you think Music Video Distribution can't sink any lower something like this comes out. Is this John Sinclair's attempt to destroy the legacy of the MC5 or cash in on the legacy of the MC5 at any cost?"

Precious Scraps of a Historic Time

R&R | Rochester, NY USA | 10/21/2005

(4 out of 5 stars)

""Kick Out The Jams", with it's jerky footage and for the most part, overdubbed audio, could disappoint the neophyte who has just become aware of the MC5.



But, for us who were there, in 1969, it is manna from heaven. Having been in NYC at that time, and seen their 8 shows at Ungano's, the apocolyptic performances at the NY State Pavilion with the Stooges, and the frightening mess at the Fillmore, this disc is a wonderful link to the past.



The MC5 were the prototype heavy metal band, the prototype punk band, the inspiration for every garage band, and the definition of High Energy. Anyone who was in their presence knew the power of their performances. They were as important as any rock band in existence. And, it is a shame that they weren't better documented.



With this CD and a little imagination, you can experience the power, commitment, energy and fun of the rock band you always wished you were in.



There will never be any band like them."

Pretty good

David Wilkinson | 10/15/2005

(3 out of 5 stars)

"There really hasn't been much documented on the Mc5 until a few years ago that I really know of. This film in particular is great if you are really wanting to see any footage of the Mc5. If you are a purist for well put together films you may not like this. The flashing lights and the tripy images can be distracting and I couldn't even imagine how that would be on acid. At any rate the music is great but it is not in synch with the actual home movies which are silent pieces. I'm just happy that there is some documentation coming out on the Mc5 and I'm hoping that the surviving members of the Mc5 will put out the documentary "a true testimonial." The interview with John Sinclair is interesting and worth checking out. I met him at a coffee shop in Memphis as he was doing a radio show there and he was a really nice guy and quite a charater as that footage shows. Again if you are looking for a full fledge documentary you won't find it there. I give this 3 stars because it's really a montage with the music over it but it is good to see footage of the Mc5 playing."