Customer Reviews

Icky Flix (The Residents)

5 star:		(15)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

First of all, this is a DVD. NOT a compact disc. It contains videos for: The Third Reich 'n' Roll, Constantinople, Moisture, Perfect Love, The Act Of Being Polite, The Simple Song, Kick A Picnic, Songs For Swinging Larvae, He Also Serves, This Is A Man's World, Harry The Head, The Gingerbread Man (concentration), Jelly Jack, Just For You, Stars And Stripes Forever, Where Is She, Burn Baby Burn, Hello Skinny, Bad Day On The Midway, and Vileness Fats. It contains 2 different soundtracks you can listen to: the original works or new versions of the old songs. All in all there is 60 minutes of video and 120 minutes of music. All of the videos are great and the new 17 minute version of Vileness Fats makes more sense than the old 32 minute version.

What a treat for enthusiasts of the mysterious Eyeball Ones! The reclusive Residents are approached with the proposal of releasing a DVD collection, which they oppose at first ..... until they concoct a way of using the DVD technology to create a new concept around some early videos. The result: an interactive chronicle/gallery of many remastered videos, films and digital media created by this most curious, fascinating and slightly disturbing ensemble. Using the DVD's alternative soundtrack capabilities, you are given the choice of hearing the original recordings, or new treatments of the songs, which they probably did to make the project more interesting than a sort of "best of" rehash anthology. Like that would matter to us.

The collection is astounding: Almost two hours of pristine Residential archives, all rerecorded with new soundtracks that you don't have to listen to if you're a purist. Of particular interest is the Songs for Swinging Larvae section, with their interpretation of material originally done by British counterparts Renaldo and the Loaf (whose recordings now seem tragically on the vanish). Their tendency towards "concentrations" of their lengthier works is put to good use, in the case of Vileness Fats (their first ever created project, this is actually the 3rd version of the original soundtrack, which was never released due to poor quality), and the software titles The Gingerbread Man and Bad Day on the Midway. Fans of the latter title will greatly appreciate seeing the digital masters, beautifully clear, touching on familiar elements of the story, just enough to tease the unfamilar viewer, as well as taking outrageous liberties with the game guidlines. See, with The Residents there are no rules as we know them .....

There are also selections from Freak Show (their premiere CDrom venture), the Commercial Album (the extraordinary One Minute Movies), the legendary Hello Skinny, a reworked video of Constantinople and other previously unseen videos, a sumptuous serving of smirky surreality by this anonymous collective consciousness .... which has for nearly thirty years kept a select few of us vastly entertained and with overall greater hope for humanity ......

The Residents are not for everyone. Their video realizations, like their recorded material, takes many dark and disturbing detours; the techno/naive music is both mesmerizing and jarring, and utterly orginal. Fans of Sugar Ray and Britney Spears are not likely to care for it; fans of Primus, Nine Inch Nails, Radiohead and Marilyn Manson might. As for me: I'm a pants-down Residents fan, and I just bought me a piece of Video Heaven for a mere twenty bucks.

We are simple, you are simple, life is simple, too. Icky Flix is simply superb.

I have been a huge fan of the Residents for years and every release never fails to surprise me. Their music is unlike any I have heard before. Thier identities always masked, this strange group of musicians/graphic artists never fail to dumfound audiences worldwide through their spectacular performances. They not only pre-date punk rock/new wave by five to seven years (depending on how you count), but also (unknown to many) envisioned the concept of music video. They were among the first (if not THE first) musicians to fully immerse themselves in the CD-ROM medium and have now upgraded themselves for the DVD era. In doing so, they far surpass their mainstream musical competitors in utilizing the vast potential of this burgeoning technical medium. As noted in previous reviews, this is not a CD. It is a DVD, and what a DVD it is!! There are two separate audio tracks (Dolby Stereo and 5.1 Surround) which both sound great and the visuals more than live up to the high standards that DVD technology demands. Even the older pieces - Vileness Fats, Hello Skinny, Third Reich and Roll - though grainy, have a cleaned-up feel to them without losing the gritty ambiance of the original film stock. Audio tracks can be switched at any time during playback to reflect the viewer's tastes. However, the thing that I love most about this DVD are the bonus features. Instead of storing all bonus footage in a designated "bonus" section, like most DVD producers, the Residents elected to hide special "easter eggs" all throughout the disc. These extras include: material from Pee Wee's Playhouse, a special performance with Conway Twitty (!), various concert footage including appearances with the famous Snakefinger, a French ballet company's interpretive dance to a well-known favorite Rez tune (I won't tell you which!), and a slew of more fun stuff. You can find them everywhere in the menus of the interactive "Flix Cube" navigation system. Here's a hint: "Keep your EYES peeled for them in the MORE INFO sections." In addition to the "Flix Cube" navigation, the viewer can choose to watch the videos in sequence. There are hidden treats here as well. In between each video are randomized assortments of gleefully gross Rez shorts created just for this DVD that tickle the funny bone as much as they do the retina. All of this (and more) on a single-layered DVD! Truly amazing! As far as the content is concerned, this is nothing short of an astounding compilation of legendary Residents video. Old and new fans alike will delight in the marvellous collection of surreal black comedy contained herein. Among my favorites are the Gingerbread Man Concentrate, Hello Skinny, One Minute Movies, Bad Day, and Constantinople. I would recommend this DVD to 1) any fan of the Residents (casual or obsessive), 2) anyone who appreciates the surreal, horrific and ridiculous, 3) anyone who loves watching cutting edge performance art, 4) any tech-head audiophile DVD geek, 5) anyone who enjoys innovative computer animation . . . oh, hell. I recommend it for everyone!

Having always had an extremely open mind to music that 'strays' from the typical, I'm ashamed to admit that my first exposure to The Residents wasn't until this year. I had certainly been aware of them - "hey, it's that band with the eyeballs for heads!" - but simply hadn't made myself available to their music, or better, art. Oh what a sheltered life I've led.....this stuff is absolutely AMAZING! I'm not going to try to describe it; I don't believe anyone's review could do justice to the sheer 'twistedness' of their work. If you were the kind of kid that got a kick out of "Mad" or "Cracked" magazine, you'll love this. If you're a Zappa fan, you probably already love them. If not, give this a try....you'll see...

In addition to their groundbreaking musical output, the Residents are famous (and infamous) for their equally bizarre and innovative experimental film work. ICKY FLIX collects almost all of these films, providing new soundtracks for every piece as well. There are some real surprises here: "Vileness Fats", the abandoned Residents epic; a new video for DUCK STAB's "Constantinople"; the "GINGERBREAD MAN Concentrate"; and a wealth of really great hidden videos, ranging from an Australian TV show appearance to a piece of live "From the Plains to Mexico". "Freak Show" and "Bad Day on the Midway" are represented here as well, in "concentrate" form (how I wish Amazon carried the Roms!).
Of course, their most famous works are here: "Third Reich and Roll" (which tells the story of the rise of rock music beutifully and with humor); "Hello Skinny"; "One Minute Movies" (four songs from THE COMMERCIAL ALBUM); and "Songs for Swinging Larvae" (by incredibly weird British band and Residents pals Renaldo and the Loaf).
Some of these are interesting mostly for Res fans: "Where is She?" is as disturbing as it is funny. This goes double for "Just for You", the last movement of a piece called "Disfigured Night" (a clever play on Schoenberg's "Transfigured Night"), which was conceived for a German television show. Even funnier than the Residents' weird stage presence are the facial reactions of some of the audience members (one girl has her eyes closed tightly, her hands clasped together as if in prayer... that reaction never fails to make me laugh out loud).
So, my overall verdict: if you're not a Residents fan, don't buy it. If you're not, though, I wouldn't imagine you'd even consider spending the money on it. So if you are, it's a good investment. God knows how much music there is here: original songs, plus remakes, plus the hidden bits... it's a dream come true! And don't miss the "commercials" between songs; they're great!

Some of the most fascinating/disturbing images ever committed to film/video/pixel. They've even cleaned up the music with new performances, or you can hear the classic recordings if you choose -- it's your call. Tremendous job of creatively exploiting the potential of the DVD medium. Not for everybody, but off the scale for those it *is* for.

Disturbing.Wonderfully disturbing.You have the option of listening to the original songs or the remix of the old songs. Personally I like the originals.Warped and twisted.Disturbed the living hell out of my friends so bad that they left the room.Gingerbread man concentrate one of the best videos on the collection. After a few watches it grows on you like an obscene fungus. Delightful.

First off, let it be known that I am a huge fan of the residents. aving said that, this DVD is one of my all time favorites. This a a retrospective of the strangest and most original musical group to ever grace our planet. The images range from disturbing, to out right comical. The music is pure residents, attempting to describe it any other way is pointless. The newer recordings on this disc are produced using dolby 5.1 sound that moves around the room and sometimes will shake the walls with it's bass.
If you are a fan, or even casual listener, of the Residents, buy this DVD NOW!! If you have never heard of the Residents and are not a fan of VERY strange experimental music. Do NOT buy this DVD. As I said I love Icky Flicks, but my wife, and just about everyone else I know hates it.

The residents' DVD Icky Flix is a must for Residents Fans; but that is a given. If you have never heard of the Residents, this DVD offers a wonderful introduction to a world of unique visuals and music. The Residents have been around for 30 years and this is a document of part of their long career so far. I have shown this DVD to a number of friends and artists who after viewing this have changed their approach to art in general. This may not be for the weak at heart, but if you truly love art, and/or music, Buy this DVD. Plus it is just fun to watch, I garuntee you will laugh or you just don't have a sense of humor.

You'll find more creativity contained in any given 10 seconds of this dvd than in a week's worth of MTV. The Residents make music videos as they are meant to be; eye popping visualizations of their songs, not lame attempts at product endorsement.

The images presented veer from psychedelic to gruesome, and usually are both at the same time. The Residents' song catalog is well represented, as the selections span the breadth of their long and illustrious career.

Whether you're a longtime fan or just discovering the Residents, this dvd is certain to delight.