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The Movie:
Anyone who's stopped by MTV on their way through the cable channels has realized that music videos have become less a simple presentation of the group/singer and the music and more a mini-movie based around the song. One of the directors most responsible for these visually striking and often gorgeous videos is Hype Williams, a director whose every video could easily be called "larger than life".
The videos here include: Videos: Can It Be All So Simple (Wu-Tang Clan), Flava in Your Ear (Remix) (Craig Mack), Doin' It (LL Cool J), Street Dreams (Nas), Feel So Good (Mase), Put Your Hands Where My Eyes Could See (Busta Rhymes), Half on a Baby (R. Kelly), Bib Pimpin' (Jay-Z), No Scrubs (TLC), Holla Holla (Ja Rule). Busta Rhymes's trippy, tribal "Put Your Hands" remains one of the wilder music videos that I've ever seen, while "No Scrubs" by TLC uses computer graphic backgrounds wonderfully for a sleek, stunning look.
Given what Williams has been able to accomplish on a small budget for the music videos that he's done, I'm surprised that he hasn't moved onto directing feature films. Still, this video collection gives a fine representation of the director's work.
The DVD
VIDEO: Palm Pictures has done a fine job presenting both the audio and image quality for these videos. All of the videos appear crisp and well-defined, with few instances of slight softness. Aside from a few hints of shimmer, no flaws were noticed. Colors appeared bright, well-saturated and stable throughout. A very enjoyable effort.
SOUND: All of the videos included within are presented in Dolby Digital 5.1. For a lot of these music video compilations, it often seems to me that all channels seem to offer the same thing. While I'm not looking for gimmicky surround use, having the vocals clearly up front while only the music gets distinct support from the rear speakers would be appreciated. That's the case for the 5.1 audio on these videos - it's nice to hear that obviously some care went into the surround mix. The vocals have a warmth and richness coming from the front speakers that's very pleasing, while the surrounds superbly boast the background music. As would be expected from this genre of music, there's also plenty of low bass.
MENUS: Palm has put together stylish and entertaining menus that are easily navigated. The main menu uses the videos superbly as backgrounds.
EXTRAS: Palm has gathered a strong batch of extras for this release. Hype Williams offers commentary for each of the videos - while his comments are often insightful and interesting, there are periods where he gets a bit too caught up in praising the artists he worked with. In addition, there is a video interview with Williams, bios for Williams and the featured artists as well as trailers for other Palm titles.
Final Thoughts: Hype Williams has clearly lived up to his own hype, providing some of the most visually remarkable music videos in recent years. Fans of the music should enjoy this package, which is very well-done both in terms of presentation and supplements.
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