Search - Return to Waterloo/Come Dancing on DVD

Stunning and intoxicatingly real

01/03/1999

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I've always enjoyed listneing to The Kinks. More so it is the captivating and hypnotising lyrics found between the grooves of their recordings. "Return To Waterloo" sets the mood (as found throughout the lyrics by Ray Davies) as real, honest, dark, touching, twisted, and riveting. This movie I think is more then a simple rock opera or film but also a part of Ray which he gracefully chooses to let us explore. The film takes us on a trip with a man on his way to work and the many strange encounters he is subject too. The music is as usual enticing and true to what Ray Davies as always been to me; a great storyteller. I have been searching for this gem for over ten years and am now priviledged to own this wonderful film. To all Kinks and Ray Davies fans...... Don't go without this one."

Well done Kinks tunes

James J. O'hagan | McHenry, IL United States | 11/26/2002

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Return to Waterloo is a terrific soundtrack but a somewhat strange, artsy movie. The second part of the DVD consists of late '80s Kinks videos: above average video, awesome music and some of Ray's better songwriting. Production quality is outstanding, and the music is wonderful. Watch the movie when you're pensive; watch the videos when you're in a party mood."

Give this a good remastering, already!

D. A Flory | Houston, TX USA | 01/11/2006

(4 out of 5 stars)

"*Return to Waterloo* is a really good example of a strange film genre that appeared briefly in the 80's and then sadly disappeared: the rock video movie. These films were often surreal, and would incorporate rock music and music-video style sequences into the story. David Byrne's *True Stories* is a better known example of this type of film.

*Return to Waterloo* features some of Ray Davies best work from the 80's. A few of these songs appeared on the Kinks' last major album *Word of Mouth*. The film itself is very effective and well-acted, although it is very strange and non-linear. Davis clearly had great talent as a director, and it is unfortunate that this film did not get the recognition it deserved.

This DVD was not mastered very well. The picture and sound is decent video quality, and there are a few glitches in the audio and video. Hopefully it will be properly reissued before too long, as the Kinks seem to have gained wider appreciation in the past few years.

The videos are a lot of fun, especially *Come Dancing*."

Not worthy of the Kinks or Ray's talents

Wayne Klein | My Little Blue Window, USA | 09/02/2001

(2 out of 5 stars)

"I'm a huge Kinks fan and had never seen Return To Waterloo (although I had the album released by Ray at the time of the film's release). When it finally appeared on DVD I thought I should check it out. It's a dreary mess of a film notable only for an early appearence by actor Tim Roth. The songs are certainly very good (although not quite up to the level of Arthur or Village Green). RTW stands as an interesting failure.The videos from the Kinks renewed popularity during the late 70's and early 80's are a hoot. Before MTV had reduced videos to little more than slick commericals, videos were amateurish enough to be fun. In this post MTV age they've become overproduced unimaginative messes (although thee are certainly a handful of worthy short "films" from the early years of MTV most are pretty bad now). Oh dear, I sound like a crabby old young
man!Anyhow, the videos are fun and it's always nice to see the band performing even if its just lip synching and performances to backing tracks. I'd definitely rank Come Dancing and Do It Again at the top of the videos the Kinks made (the latter song is an underrated gem that borrows the opening chord from A Hard Day's Night and manages to return the favor the Who did for the band when they "borrowed" the Kinks sound early in their career).Worth having just for the videos and seeing the band in more successful days. As for RTW I'd record the songs onto a CDR play that and ignore the film. 1 star for RTW and 3 for the videos average out to 2 for the package."