Search - Storefront Hitchcock on DVD

MPAA Rating: PG-13 Content Advisory: Questionable for Children Movie Release: 1997 DVD Release: 02/29/2000 Format: DVD Audio Tracks: English Subtitles: French, Spanish SwapaDVD Credits: 1 Number of Discs: 1 Run Time: 1 hrs 17 mins Studio: MGM Members Wishing: 0 Genres: Music, Concerts, Vocal Music

Rock-music lover and feature-film director Jonathan Demme takes on eccentric British singer-songwriter, Robyn Hitchcock, in an ambitious concert film, though tinier in scope than his previous rock-film effort, Stop Making Sense(1984), featuring Talking Heads. Setting up a stage in a New York storefront, Hitchcock plays with his back to the glass, while an audience looks on inside and passersby view the action through the window; it's not much different from what happens at a live Hitchcock show, aside from the window. In his clear voice, Hitchcock preambles his songs with explanations so long they are like mini-films themselves; he even rambles about his practice of rambling! Delivered with Hitchcock's unnerving deadpan wit and complex guitarwork, after over an hour of pure music and plenty of close-ups, it's unclear what Demme was after -- to convert the world into Hitchcock fans, or to reveal a man behind the madcap moods and masks he dons throughout his performances? ~ Denise Sullivan, All Movie Guide

Robyn Hitchcock
Deni Bonet
Tim Keegan

Jonathan Demme's minimalist 1997 film documenting psychedelic folk-rocker Robyn Hitchcock's performances in a Manhattan storefront is given a worthy DVD release. These 14 songs, as sculpted by Hitchcock, sound better than ever. On DVD, Storefront Hitchcock makes a viewer marvel at the full, poetic sounds he is able to deliver with only a guitar and his voice. Whether Hitchcock is spinning between-song stories or baring his soul via music, the audio mix is stunning. Video quality is superb. Colors are vibrant. The tiled, mosaic window behind Hitchcock gives the best evidence of the astonishing colors the DVD is able to relate. While it would be nice to have a widescreen option, little is lost in the standard format. Indeed, the smaller frame demands a closer focus on Hitchcock's intricate guitar strumming. Certain scenes would have been enhanced by the cinematic aspect ratio, best evidenced on "You and Oblivion". During that performance, there's an extended, extreme close-up of Hitchcock and a lone light bulb when viewed in the cinema; on DVD, viewers are presented solely with Hitchcock's profile (with the light bulb offscreen), negating a fragile and pretty symbol. The only other negative is the absence of supplemental material. Additional performances of other songs or alternate takes of included songs would make for great "deleted" scenes. As concert films go, however, Storefront Hitchcock is absolutely essential, both as performance art and as a study in documentary filmmaking. It's a treasure that a filmed Robyn Hitchcock concert is available on DVD. ~ Tim DiGravina, All Movie Guide