Customer Reviews

Britney Spears - Time Out with Britney Spears [VHS]

5 star:		(42)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(6)

 

 

Liking Britney Spears is something that you don't admit to, or at least most don't. My view of her is a matter of "if it's on the radio, it's actually kinda catchy. I'm not buying the album or anything, but the music is pretty decent." (half my readers are now laughing at me.) Imagine my suprise when I turned on this DVD and was really very impressed with the quality of the presentation.

First thing I took a look at were the music videos. "Drive Me Crazy", "Baby, One More Time" and "Sometimes" are all presented in full-screen and look quite good, with impressive clarity and razor sharp images without any problems. What is really nice though on the music videos, was that you're offered the choice in terms of sound of either 2.0 or the full 5.1. 5.1, especially on "Baby, One More Time", sounded really quite excellent. All of the songs really sound crisp, clear, rich and carry a very nice amount of bass.

When I first was looking around on this DVD, I thought it was simply a compilation of various tidbits(videos, notes, etc), but I realized that the main feature on this DVD is actually a 55 minute documentary on the history of the singer. The documentary is fairly interesting, with Spears talking about the documentary footage or various photos that are shown. Everything is split into chapters, with a look at the making of the 3 music videos; recording the album; a look at some concert footage and more. The last part is footage from Spears's Disney Channel concert. This can also be viewed separately. Chapter selection for the documentary is also fully animated.

Onto everything else; there is a 15 minute "behind-the-scenes" look with interviews with Spears and a look at her recording in the studio. The documentary also gives a very nice look in-depth at the making of two of Spears's music videos("Sometimes" and "Drive Me Crazy".). Also included are a photo gallery, biography(text) and trivia game(which I failed, I think.). During all of the videos and performances, viewers have the option of the lyrics as subtitles. The DVD also offers web links for DVD-rom users.

Even the menus are really nice, with full animation on all menus and when you're in the music video menu, all of the videos play in the video selection menu. "Drive Me Crazy" also plays in the background of the menus. Amazingly, there's also a really nice "help" feature that literally takes you through the entire disc. Fans of the singer will probably go nuts for this disc.

Yeah, the music is not really my kind of music or anything but I really was able to appreciate the quality of this whole package. It's not one of those things where a few music videos are thrown together with basic menus; I think that there's a very nice effort put into this DVD and I was really pleasantly suprised.

Grade:B+

Musical tastes aside, if you like Britney Spears, then you will most likely enjoy this DVD. Britney talks A LOT in this video about how she started in the pop music industry and what it was like to make her videos--with behind-the-scenes footage. If you can't stand to listen to her talk, you can always skip to the three music videos "... Baby One More Time", "Sometimes", and "(You Drive Me) Crazy" (Stop Re-mix).

The music videos are mixed in Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround. The music video audio mixes really threw my ears the first time I heard them because they do some extreme panning and circle the room with with the sound. For example, they isolate the mix in one channel and skip around the room during certain musical breaks. The end result sounds like they crammed the entire mix into a single channel. I think it would have sounded smoother and less abrupt if they isolated a few vocal or effects tracks and moved those around the room instead of the entire mix. Doing this would probably require more extensive remixing of the original tracks. But it's nice of the DVD producers to try to do something cool with the capabilities of Dolby Digital Surround.

There are also some in-concert performances from the Disney Channel. These performances are both ballads and do not showcase--what I think is--Britney's better talent: dancing. Her vocal and even the backup vocal performances are not anything to praise in these clips. (If you listen carefully, you can hear her live vocal performance off-key with her pre-recorded vocal double.) During "Born to Make You Happy", Britney sings to a kid who was invited on stage; the kid looks either so in shock or scared to death as Britney sings to him.

There's also a bonus interview with Mrs. Spears (Britney's mom) after the trivia game. I thought it was rather pointless, was not worth the effort to play the trivia game, and should have been "left on the cutting room floor."

Overall, there are a lot of materials available on this DVD that you wouldn't normally find on similar types of music DVD's. Britney fans will enjoy this DVD regardless of minor technical shortcomings.

If you are a fan of Britney Spears you should get this video! It has all her music videos except From the Bottom of My Broken Heart. The interviews are good and they show her on the Disney concert.

This DVD is a must for any Britney fan. I have around 5 DVD's that are about music from other artists (Mariah Carey, Alanis Morissette etc.) and this is the best. As on the video you will see the 50 minute show with (in order of showing) Britney growing up, her recording her first album (you also get to see the making of her song "I Will Be There") then comes the making and viewing of her first three videos and after that you get to see what she thinks about going on tour. After that you see 10 minutes of her performance on Disney's "In Concert" special with her performing "Born To Make You Happy" and "From The Bottom Of My Broken Heart". For those who have a VCR AND a DVD Player YOU SHOULD GET THE DVD! The thing is instead of watching the whole DVD you not only get scene selections (like every DVD does) you also get to see each music video individually (without having to watch the 25-minute behind-the-scenes chapter) and you get to also to go to a special section to just watch the Disney Live songs insted of watching the special too. Other things ONLY available on DVD are a biography, a photo gallery of about 15-20 pictures, a DVD-Rom web link, and a trivia game which if you win you get a secret video. Every Britney fan with a DVD player should buy this.

P.S. If anyone knows some answers to the trivia game I really would like to know as I've tried about more than 20 times (I even recorder my answers to avoid answering them in the same pattern) and I'm only positive to knowing at least 4 or 5.

Britney Spears is the fastest-selling female artist of all-time, shifting 60 million albums in the space of just over 3 years! She's the biggest female pop phenomenon since Madonna and this video defines why she is just that. This is the first home video from Britney and was released in November/December 1999 and is one of the most successful music videos in years! The video features music videos, exclusive interviews and backstage information that you won't find anywhere else...

The video begins with Growing Up. This first section focuses on Britney's life as a child. She talks exclusively about her childhood, how she got started on the road to stardom and gives us a peek inside her own family photo album. This first section is really mellow and sweet with lots of great footage of Britney as a young kid in various places such as dance rehersals and auditions. The second section in the video is Recording My First Album. After Britney graduated from school, she flew to Sweden to record her amazing first album, Baby One More Time after she secured a record deal with Jive Records. Britney also gives her own personal guide to a few tracks, such as Sometimes and Baby One More Time. This part of the video is good, but I think they could've spent more time on it - like letting Britney give her personal opinion on every song, not just a few. The next section in Making Music Videos. We get to see Britney behind-the-scenes filming her first three music videos for Baby One More Time, Sometimes and (You Drive Me) Crazy. The video for Baby One More Time is absolutely superb - I'm SURE you've seen it before. The idea of Britney dressed as a schoolgirl was genius, as it appealed to young girls, middle-aged men and practically every teenage boy on Earth! Britney knows how to promote herself - after all, sex sells. The second video is Sometimes. This video is set on the beach and is a perfect summer video for the summer of 1999! The third and final video on Time Out With Britney is (You Drive Me) Crazy. This video caused outrage amongst American Family groups who accused Britney of provoking young girls into dressing sexily, years before they were "suppose to". Along with a good mind for business, Britney Spears also knows how to cause controversy - just like Madonna. The video obviously worked - I was transfixed to the TV set for three and a half minutes every time the video came on. Face it, she looks hot in this video! The next section in Time Out With Britney is called On The Road. You get to follow Britney on tour and get an exclusive backstage access. This section is short but sweet, and probably the worst section of the video. The final section in this great music video is Disney Channel In Concert. We get to see Britney perform two songs - Born To Make You Happy and From The Bottom Of My Broken Heart - from her debut album, Baby One More Time which has sold 24 million copies worldwide! This section is taken from USA Disney Channel's "Britney Spears and Joey McIntyre In Concert" programme. This section is splendid and the performances are very upbeat.

OVERALL GRADE: 10/10

All in all, Time Out With Britney is an absolute must have for every Britney fan in the world! If you like this video, you have to buy Britney's other music home videos - Britney Spears Live And More!, Britney: The Videos and Britney Spears Live From Las Vegas. But if there's one Britney video you should buy first, it's definitely Time Out With Britney - buy it now from Amazon!

This video is excellent. You get full-length videos of her songs "Sometimes", "(U Drive Me) Crazy- The Stop Remix", and "...Baby One More Time". You also get some hot interviews. Britney talks about how she got discovered, the Mickey Mouse Club, growing up in Kentwood, Louisiana, Star Search, etc. She also talks about making her first album and all the work that she put in it. Plus, you also get to see her perform her hits "From the Bottom of My Broken Heart" and "Born To Make You Happy". She talks about being on the road and how her dancers have become her family. If you love Britney Spears, go out and buy this video now! I guarentee you will be satisfied with this.

The Interview: Britney is interviewed throughout this video,and there are some new and interesting facts in this. However, aninterview is something I'd watch once, maybe twice. There is too much talking, and I would have rather seen more live performances and rehearsals.

Video Clips: This video contains the full version video clips to 'Baby One More Time', 'Sometimes' and 'Crazy'. This is to be expected on a video, but it was material that I already had, and expect most Britney fans would already own.

Making of Video Clips: This would have been more interesting had I not seen most of it before. If you're a huge Britney fan, and have recordings of her television appearances and specials, you won't appreciate this as much. The making of the three video clips, showed little new material for me. However, if it was all new to you, then it would definately be worth buying.

Disney Channel In Concert: This for me was the best part of the video. This is a live performance of 'Born To Make You Happy' and 'From The Bottom Of My Broken Heart'.

Overall: It really depends on what you already own, and what your tastes are. I had already seen most of the video footage from U.K. television that has been sent to me, and interviews, well I'd never watch that more than maybe twice. If you have not already seen the content in this video, then yes it'd definately be worth purchasing.

I really did not like Britney Spears much, and all I heard and saw of her was her videos, songs, and outfits! But this video takes you behind the scenes and you get to know the REAL Britney...not the radio or the MTV Britney. She is so nice and I am so glad that Britney Spears has found another fan...me!

"Time Out With Britney" is Britney Spears's first homevideo and definitely a must have for all Britney fans. The DVD includes an interview with Britney on how she started singing, how she became a Mousketeer ("The New Mickey Mouse Club"), etc. You also get the full-length version music videos for "(You Drive Me) Crazy" (the 'STOP' Remix), "...Baby One More Time", and "Sometimes". You also get exclusive behind-the-sceens look at the making of the music videos plus an extended behind-the-sceens look at the making of the "Sometimes" music video. But that's not all! You'll also get the Disney Channel concert special with Britney performing and you'll meet a lot of the people who work with Britney including her choreographer and other people like that. Also added with this DVD is a cassette sampler with the 'STOP' Remix for "(You Drive Me) Crazy" song plus some samples from other artists as well. "Time Out With Britney" is exactly what any Britney fan would want and definitely a must-have Britney item!

If Your a HUGE Britney Fan, then this video is a must for your Brit Collection! This VHS contains all three of her sexy videos (...Baby, One More TIme, Sometimes, and CRAZY (Stop REMIX) I loved this video! Get to know the real Britney by watching her interviews. It also contains the Disney Channel Concert! This vido is loaded! ORDER NOW! BEFORE IT'S TOO LATE! This is definetly a collecter's item.