Customer Reviews

Henry Rollins: Up For It

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I disagree with Scott Woods almost completely. Improvisation from someone who doesn't improvise much? Obviously Scott hasn't paid too much attention to Rollins' previous offerings or indeed, where he and his whole 'talking show' act came from.

No, Rollins doesn't walk on stage and simply make up the show from scratch every night. Importantly though, nor are his shows scripted performances that are the same every night of the week. I think this distinction needs to me made, as the reviews so far seem to say that this DVD falls short when (depending what you're after) it certainly does not.

This is a comedic performance. The fact that Henry has proven himself capable of offering deeper, more poignant food-for-thought-type material and elected not to include it here should not count against it. Almost all of the material in this show is of a high standard, with only a few exceptions that tend to drag on a little bit (See: "Klan Chaos Distruption Team). The pace is moderate - more short, funny stories than long tales such as The Kiss Army (on Talk Is Cheap) rather than long tales with humour throughout. The direction isnt as bad as some have said, but it could have been better; crowd shots generally contribute nothing to stage show DVDs. This disc also features an interview with Henry that fans will enjoy as some of the questions/subjects are rather good and provoke some interesting answers.

Prospective purchasers beware: the people who attend (and review..) Rollins shows generally comprise two types of people. The Not-As-Good-As-He-Used-To-Be brigade, who appear to miss the more serious side of Rollins earlier shows and consequently mark down anything he releases that doesnt have talk of depression-inducing (if thoughtful and insightful) observations, and the rest of us who simply enjoy the man's sense of humour, storytelling skills and all-round take on life.

Don't be put off by the naysayers, this is a good DVD whether you're a fan of Rollins or not.

This has a pretty fun stand up performance by Henry Rollins in London. He's a smart guy with a great sense of humor and he's had a lot of pretty intense life experiences -- like being in Black Flag.

At the end of the performance is Henry sitting down and just honestly talking about what he does, why he does it, and who he is.

Henry is always poignent and honest and thought provoking. This is a cool item for anyone who likes to think.

After "Talking From the Box" and "Live & Ripped From London", the latest performance from Rollins is less terse and more humourous than afrementioned showcases, but still maintains the signature edge. On "Up For It", the Hot Animal Machine cools down some, doesn't flay his skins on stage, and lets the audience enjoy his own joyously twisted storytelling. By far the funniest, however no less poigniant, talking show to date, Rollins still displays his wierd gift for making his most banal (but not really) experiences about travelling, music and personal politics seem like you were portering him. A very enjoyable performance altogether, and another "must-have" for Rollins afficiandos. Very funny and very friendly.

To those that would have thought that the years, adventures, and experiences would have mellowed Henry Rollins, this DVD is irrefutable evidence that it is not so. Rollins, Warriorpoet extraordinaire, holds fast to the tenets that he refuses to sit back and let the world pass him by; reveling in a Bushido-Nietzchean mindset that only gets more powerful with age. Alternately inspiring and hilarious, Rollins provides his distinct voice to issues as varied as what he would be like as president, to traveling through the streets of Thailand, to the dire state of modern music accompanied by rampant subliteracy. Listening to the intelligent and articulate ferocity of his attacks, and his Hemingway adventures that have taken him across the world, you feel almost embarassed to be sitting down and watching this video. We should all be so lucky to be so unique and uncompromising at his age, instead of sitting on the couch and seeing what's on mustseetv. What a waste. Rollins is the real deal. Do yourself a favor: Shut up, sit down, and watch.

Henry Rollins is a man most people know for his music. Underneath he's a head full of ideas, witty comments, stories of his travels with a body full of energy. Even at 40 he still has the intensity of someone much younger. His age also lends him insight into the world which makes for good comedy.

I've probably watched this dvd several times since I bought it and without fail, each time, it makes me laugh. Rollins is very good with the physical: using his hands and body to act out what he's saying like a sketch routine. He's also good at immitating the demeanors and voices of others in his stories. If you have any funny bone at all, this is sure to make you laugh.

To me he's like a mix of Dennis Leary and a little bit Bill Hicks. Though he can never be as truly good as either of those comedians, he still comfortably occupies a class all by himself.

Henry Rollins, known for his work in the band Black Flag and the Henry Rollins Band, has a fantastic work of spoken word. He's insightful, well traveled, and fun. He has a knack for storytelling and this is one of those instances. You'll laugh until you cry.

Henry Rollins' talking shows, as he calls them, are smart, funny observational renderings of his world. Ever the outsider, never the in-crowd phony, Rollins shares tales of life, liberty, and the pursuit of cynicism. From common experiences of snorkeling in Australia to auditioning for a Hollywood motion picture with Danny DeVito, Henry relates his experiences like a new friend you just met at a party.

Is he a poet or a stand up comic... or both... or neither? There's a lot of observational stuff that comics like Richard Pryor or Lenny Bruce, maybe even Bill Cosby's old material, that could make you laugh at yourself because he can relate the situation to the crazy, merry-go-round-broken-down stuff we all see in our own every day lives.

As many of these talking shows that Henry can pitch to the general public, I'm happy to field. Check out a copy to see one at least once and share it with a like minded friend. Hey, talk may be cheap but look who's buying.

I was going to write a comprehensive review of this...until I read chasemouse's review. There is nothing more to say. If you call yourself a Rollins fan, you WILL include this in your collection.

For those looking for more of the wit and straight lines of Rollins's previous spoken word work, this presentation might make you cringe a little around the edges. It's well-produced and features the charismatic and intelligent Rollins, so it has that in its favor. He's honest, hard and accessible; refreshing for a celebrity, especially one crossing genres.

The problems lie in his squirrely sense of who-cares and the fact that it comes off mostly as an improvisation by someone who doesn't improve so much as rattle into the next idea. It's an interesting thing to see, but it's not necessarily entertaining and wholly self-referential, sometimes too much so. When he broadens his perspective to general things (his rant on DJs who claim to be musicians is hilarious and poignant: "You're a record player player") he's dead-on what we go see him for, but when he starts talking in the minutiae, it gets a little too personalized and you can tell he knows it and just wants to barrel through to the next thing.

It's not stand-up by any actual stretch of the imagination. While there are comic moments, this isn't about comedy (not even in a raw Bill Hicks kind of way); it's a spoken word trail of stories and opinions. It's Rollins's spoken word shows minus the paper-codified stories and poems, leaving us with the talking he does between pieces that sometimes flies and sometimes doesn't.

If you're a Rollins fan (music aside), you'll dig it, but you'll likely only watch it once or twice.

I was very nervous, when i wrapped out the dvd, and i was very happy to see the master in an absolut perfect sound & vision, but after a few minutes, something pisses me of. ... I WANT TO SEE THE HOT ANIMAL MACHINE FROM THE FRONT, like i did in severall spoken word shows, i cried out and my wife came to see if i was going nuts at least. The problem is: too many cameras. Why are there camera positions from the back, from the floor and from a football field away ? And somewhat like clicked the cut in ever the same time code ? The performance is great, no doubt. But i must say that i prefer the London dvd's, because they make me feel like sitting in the audience and not be tortured by an ... director, who cuts the perspectives in pieces. Sorry