Beastie Boys Video Anthology



The Beastie Boys are among the most influential groups of the last two decades. As their music has opened hip-hop to a wider audience and changed the parameters of its sound, their ambitious music videos have carried the medium to new levels of artistic expression. This groundbreaking two-disc anthology showcases the vast potential of DVD technology, with most of the 18 videos containing alternate visual angles and multiple audio tracks. There are hundreds of possible image and sound combinations, including new surround mixes, a cappella versions, instrumentals, and more than 40 remixes (by such artists as Moby, Fatboy Slim and The Prunes), including many new remixes created exclusively for this release. Loaded with never-before-seen footage and unreleased music tracks, this special edition also contains a trove of rare still photos and exclusive audio commentary by the band and the video directors. And the coup de gr�ce; the world-premiere director's cut of Nathanial Hornblower's "Intergalactic" spin-off "The Robot vs. the Octopus Monster Saga."

SPECIAL EDITION DOUBLE-DISC SET

- Eighteen videos: “Intergalactic,” “Shake Your Rump,” “Gratitude,” “Something’s Got to Give,” “Sure Shot,” “Hey Ladies,” “Looking Down the Barrel of a Gun,” “Body Movin’,” “So What’Cha Want,” “Sabotage,” “Shadrach,” “Three MCs and One DJ,” “Ricky’s Theme,” “Pass the Mic,” “Holy Snappers,” “Root Down,” “Netty’s Girl,” and “Alive.”
- Over 100 video angles and audio tracks switchable at any time during playback.
- More than forty remixes by Beastie Boys, Bentley Rhythm Ace, Fred C., Mario Caldato, Joey Chavez, Colleone & Webb, Count Bass D, DJ Cheapshot, Dj J-Rocc & Dj Truly OdD, DJ Moe Love, DJ Strictnine and Paranorm, Dub Hackers, Egon & Jon Doe, Evidence, Fatboy Slim, Kut Masta Kurt, Large Professor, Latch Brothers, Madlib, Micky Finn & Special K, Moby, Mum’s the word, Mike Nardone, DJPaul Nice, OD, Peanut Butter Wolf, Shawn J. Period & Wizdom Life, Prince Paul, Prisoners of Technology, Prunes, J Rawls, Sam Sever & Johnathan Hoffman, Soul Assassins, and T- Ray, including many new remixes created exclusively for this release.
- Audio commentary by the band and the video directors, including Adam Bernstein, Evan Bernard, Tamra Davis, Spike Jonze, Ari Marcropoulos, and David Perez.
- The world-premiere director’s cut of Nathanial Hornblower’s “Intergalactic” spin-off “The Robot vs. the Octopus Monster Saga.”
- Interview with the cast of “Sabotage”
- Still photographs
- Storyboards
- Special collectible poster
- New 5.1 surround-sound mixes
- A cappella versions
- Optional English subtitles
- Optimal image quality: RSDL dual-layer edition

Criterionforum.org user rating averages

Who approached to whom?, B-Boys to CC, or the opposite?...

B-Boys approached Criterion.

It was Adam Yauch I think that apporached them. The band really loves Criterion movies and thought they would do a great job puting the DVD together. They were right.

Anybody pick up the limited edition of Solid Gold Hits? The DVD has most of the videos on the Criterion edition but also includes ones from Licensed to Ill. The CD seems like a retread of the Sounds of Science comp released a few years ago. Although, I'm sure the DVD doesn't have all the funky bells and whistles that the Criterion one has.

WEnt to the Gigastore in Budapest. This DVD is available from Criterion in Pal. Was surprised. But even more surprising was a factory sealed Silence of the Lambs CC edition in their "Rare/leftover" section (where they have R1 dvds)...but for about $80.

Anyone know what this is? Might be worth it for the hard core Criterion Collectors.

I have this. It's basically just a DVD single or sampler from the set. I think it was promo only or something.

Not worth 30 bucks. I picked up the promo on EBay for 3 bucks.

It's just Intergalactic with all the special features, minus commentary.

Anyone have one of those DVD singles that they want to sell me on the cheap?

This Beastie Boys music is holding up (surprisingly for some?) well over the years.

I hate to exhilarate
but these vids are just first rate
I even like the punky stuff
Sounds so funky but so tuff

Dance! (snaps whip)

Not exactly a Criterion question, but maybe somebody in the Forum with Beastie Boys knowledge can give me a boost with this one:

I'm a researcher for the Oxford English Dictionary, and my editors wants to use a Beastie Boys lyric in the OED, from "Brass Monkey." Does anyone know if the Licensed to Ill CD came with a lyric sheet? Or perhaps there's one in the Criterion release?

The Beastie Boys and the OED: a match made in etymological heaven.

The DVD comes with subtitles for the songs

"Brass Monkey" is not included on the DVD.
Which lyric do you intend to quote? What entry is it for?

It's for the entry for "rock" -- used as a verb. The relevant lyric is "D rocks the can."

I don't think the main LP or CD releases came with a lyric sheet. It's possible some of the foreign pressings did.
And since it seems like you need an official written source to cite, there's probably no use in my telling you the words, right?

Yeah, we've got the lyrics transcribed informally, but I'm hoping to find some more authoritative printed source to use for the citation.

Checked my vinyl copy of the album - no lyric sheet. Sorry

Back in the early 90's, my girlfriend called ASCAP and got them to fax the music & lyric sheet for an old AL Cooper & the Savoy Sultans tune ("Draggin' My Heart Around"), since we couldn't make out some of the lyrics on the scratchy vinyl recording. They said they weren't really supposed to release it, but she wheedled it out of them, as it had become "our song."

So try ASCAP or anywhere else a copyrighted song might be registered. nothing more authoritative than the actual copyrighted music sheet. Whipping out your big old OED credentials should be persuasive enough, I'd think. Possibly even the equivalent of that girl's winsome phone voice and flirty manner.

Edit: I just did a title search at the ASCAP site for Brass Monkey (The Beastie Boys are the 5th entry) and it provides the contact info (including phone numbers) for both the publisher and for their label. I'd try a call to ASCAP first, with the BB's publisher and label as backups.
Lyric websites abound, but wouldn't likely sound authoritative.
Good Luck.

Another great article from Matthew Dessem! He only has 450 or so more titles to go! I particularly liked his comments on the ubiquitous fish eye lenses and the idea that this DVD release marks a particular moment of DVD history.

I've never really been a big fan of the Beastie Boys' shouty rap style (I'm obviously oversimplifying here!), and probably wouldn't have thought of getting this without the Criterion imprimatur, but did find many of the videos to be extremely enjoyable. I loved Body Movin' (which I was also glad to see later turned up on Paramount's DVD of Danger: Diabolik as an extra!) but I think the highlights of the set for me have to be the archive footage making up Something's Got To Give; the angle with the camera set up on the platform on Intergalactic that just focuses on the passengers getting on and off their trains (which works the best with the Prisoners of Technology remix track!); the brief moment in Lookin' Down A Barrel Of A Gun where the cute cat is being pursued through the house by an Evil Dead-style swooping camera coinciding with the repeated lyrics of "It's gonna get ya!"; and the amazing animation of Shadrach.

And to cap it all off, after all these years the DVD menus are still incredible with their funky, sci-fi tinged blue-(and green!)prints of what looks to be a Moonbase or Bio-dome!

Pitchfork links their fifty favorite videos of the 1990s. Loads of Jonze, Gondry, and Cunningham; "Sabotage" at #5 (but only the third-highest ranked Jonze entry).

Aside from the obvious differences in the cover art, are there any other differences in content between the original release & reissue?

No.

I got the reissue and it had no poster and wasn't sure if all the reissues had no poster. When I contacted Criterion they said they had accidently released some without it and would send one out to me, although they never did. Did anyone else get a reissue sans poster? Is it a mess up and all reissues have no poster or was I just unlucky?