Product Details

• Actors: Belle & Sebastian
• Format: Color, DVD, Live, NTSC
• Language: English
• Region: Region 1 (U.S. and Canada only. Read more about DVD formats.)
  
• Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
• Number of discs: 1
• Rated: NR (Not Rated)
• Studio: Matador Records
• DVD Release Date: January 20, 2004
• Run Time: 136 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (15 customer reviews)
• ASIN: B00009B8EX
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #89,240 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)
  • #42 in Music > Alternative Rock > Indie & Lo-Fi > Twee Pop

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

17 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars made with love, January 21, 2004

By 

Pierre Bautista "didgeridoo" (fremont, ca) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Belle & Sebastian - Fans Only (DVD)

the dvd is a retrospective of one of the best bands of the last part of the 20th century, belle and sebastian. if you are looking into getting a primer on the band, i suggest you purchase "if you're feeling sinister", "the boy with the arab strap" the lazy line-painter jane box set before you delve your finances into this gem.
belle and sebastian fans are notorious for their cult-like obsession with the glasgow band, and this dvd is the perfect fix. it contains old footage of the band and connects them to newer performances to show how much the band has evolved and from 96 to as early as 98 how massive their music spread. the music they were making in 96, 60s pop with velvet underground riffs and subversive arty lyrics sung by the voice of a choir boy, might have taken their influences from bands past but they were doing nothing anyone was doing at the time.
the type of music they played weren't meant for doing promotional work or selling albums. it was for the sake of making music and "fans only" shows that side of belle and sebastian, the side that made them a mysterious group that garnered publicity by trying to avoid it. the popularity of the band also is a testament to the rabid fans across the world who spread the quality of pop music through word of mouth. this dvd is for them.
not only does it show an evolution of a band musically, but in front of the camera as the earlier videos show a shy, more twee-ish interviews which later videos show the band gaining more confidence and comfort in front of cameras, especially in a hilarious interview with some brazilian talk show.
the growth also shows in the music videos, which started out with hand-held super 8s and a casual approach that shows their sincerity, to much more expensive productions. the interesting part is that from point a and point b (where they are now), there is still a sense of excitement and fun and playfulness in their performances that are not only surprising but a pleasure to see in a world where bands generally get jaded after any type of exposure.
the one qualm (like a true idiot fanboy) of this dvd is that i would have preferred to hear the live audio of the sessions on 54th performance of "dylan in the movies" and the whole performance of stevie richards doing the beach boy's "darlin". but those are stupid complaints with what the brilliance of this dvd to this biased fan. highly recommend if you are a fan of this group.
note: after the credits, there is a bonus performance of "legal man" from the top of the pops where the monkey butler (from the "fold your hands child..." cd sleeve a/k/a stuart david) makes an appearance.

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A good gift for Belle and Sebastian fans, December 18, 2003

By 

life pursuit (Seattle, WA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Belle And Sebastian: Fans Only (Jewel Case) (DVD)

I really enjoyed this DVD because although I have
been a big fan of them, I knew very little about them. Having no cable TV or high-speed internet, I've never seen their videos, let alone knew what they look like. In some sense this DVD reintroduced me to the band that I have always loved. It tells the band's history, its members, how they write songs and lots of other things. I've always like them because they make great music, and watching this DVD make them even more loveable because I have a little more insight to their ideas, their environments and surroudings. Plus, I did not know they are all so good-looking people! I like the live shows the most so I wish they'd put more live footages in the disc. Overall I think any Belle and Sebastian fan would enjoy it, and it's the kind of DVD I do not mind watching more than a few times.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Glorious portrait of a glorious band, October 31, 2004

By 

Michael Topper (Pacific Palisades, California United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Belle & Sebastian - Fans Only (DVD)

In the late 90s you were beyond hip if you were a fan of this
obscure Scottish indie band. I did not hear of them until 2001
but became an instant fan of their lush, melodic, 60s inspired sound after buying several of their albums. This DVD finally puts a human face to the somewhat mysterious group, and that face is warm, gentle and high-spirited throughout its length. It's amazing to witness the group camraderie shown in the behind-the-scenes footage here; you wonder if they have ever got into an argument in their lives! This makes the overall mood very peaceful, but by contrast the music is very vital, diverse and alive. It is fantastic to have all of the videos and so much vintage live footage collected here into a seamless whole. The charge that the DVD is disorganized or hastily put together does not seem to makes sense; I found the selection of footage and editing very seamless, which created one very unique overall
style. Highlights include a rollicking "Boy With The Arab Strap" live in Los Angeles, the ethereal "Lazy Line Painter Jane", the would-be retro-60s smash "Legal Man" (in both the promo version and a Top Of The Pops appearance), the oh-so-hip "Dylan At The Movies", the sensitive "State I'm In" and a curious Brazilian late-night talk show interview in which the band tries their best at singing in Portuguese. None of these moments are to be missed, at least by fans, which makes the title of this package very appropriate.