Product Details

• Actors: Queen
• Directors: Matt O'Casey
• Format: Color, DVD, 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: Eagle Rock Entertainment
• DVD Release Date: January 31, 2012
• Run Time: 164 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
• ASIN: B006GH6IWU
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,844 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)
  • #18 in Movies & TV > DVD > Music Videos & Concerts
  • #76 in Movies & TV > DVD > Documentary

Editorial Reviews

In 1971, four college students got together to form a rock band.
Since then, that certain band called Queen have released 26 albums and sold over 300 million records worldwide. The popularity of Freddie Mercury, Brian May, Roger Taylor and John Deacon is stronger than ever 40 years on.
But it was no bed of roses. No pleasure cruise. Queen had their share of kicks in the face, but they came through and this is how they did it, set against the backdrop of brilliant music and stunning live performances from every corner of the globe.
In this film, for the first time, it is the band that tells their story. Featuring brand new interviews with the band and unseen archive footage (including their recently unearthed, first ever TV performance), it is a compelling story told with intelligence, wit, plenty of humor and painful honesty. / Bonus Features:
Additional Videos: new promo videos containing unseen rushes, performances and outtakes.
Seven Seas of Rhye
Killer Queen
Somebody to Love
We Are The Champions
Crazy Little Thing Called Love
Under Pressure
Radio Ga Ga / Additional Sequences: featuring unseen interviews and archive footage, exclusive sequences that dig deeper into the history of Queen, and tell the stories that weren t covered in the documentary.
From Magic To The Miracle 1986-89
Going Slightly Mad: Making Innuendo 1990-91
Made In Heaven 1995

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

21 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Insightful, somewhat condensed, ultimately bittersweet., January 3, 2012

By 

A.M.Boughey "Poetmaster" (Rochester, MN) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Queen - Days Of Our Lives (Blu-ray)

Queen 40 years, that was 2011, the reissues, the box sets, books and documentaries, all flooding the market.
Among them this little documentary gem, released in the UK (mid January 2012 release date set for here in the US) on region free Blu ray disc.
There has been some consternation about the fact that the BD runs longer than the trimmed DVD release, and I can offer no insight. The BD has nice picture and sound, but is by no means stunning, most of the footage shown in the documentary is old and not restored, or upgraded to HD, so it's a good picture, not a stunning one.
The main feature is a two part documentary charting the beginnings of the band, through to their last live performance in 1986, and then what came next.
Most of the footage is narrated in interview style with Brian May, and Roger Taylor mostly. John Deacon (the bass player) seeming to have disappeared intentionally from the public eye, is not seen much, and the footage of Freddie is obviously old.

There is quite a bit of new footage, some unseen screen tests for videos, and the unseen live aid practice, all padded out with a chronology of hits, shows, ups and downs.
It was interesting to learn about some of the inner turmoil, the quiet solo attempts, not only from Freddie, but Brian and Roger also.
There are many interesting interviews with the likes of Paul Gambucinni, long time roadie Peter Hince, and their former manager, as well as news reports, clips covering the highs and the lows.
The immense crowds of South America, the mistake of Sun City, the long time break through to the USA, and so on.

The second part of the documentary deals with the high points, virtual split and then masterful reunion for Live Aid, and the massive '86 tour.
It also deals with Freddie's health, decline and ultimate end, and though delicately handled, it is sad and very bittersweet.

So 40 years? Well yes and no, 25 years since their last live concert as a complete band, and 20 years since the death of Freddie, yet here we are - still absorbed, still watching.
Arguably one of the greatest rock bands of the 20th century, certainly one, if not THE founders of "stadium" rock, who left an endearing legacy of great music.

Much of the the footage can be seen in other documentaries like Queen - Under Review - 1980-1991 and Queen - Under Review 1973-1980 but these are mostly the ramblings of other people. This BD has probably the most real input from the band, mostly Roger and Brian as already mentioned, but for any fan, or anyone who simply wants to know more about the band, it's certainly worth the money.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars 4.5 stars for Queen - "Days of Our Lives" DVD, January 18, 2012

By 

bass boy "music fan" (Arkansas) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Queen: Days Of Our Lives (DVD)

A very good documentary - told in two chapters (you can watch them individually or consecutively) on the standard DVD. It's interesting to hear Brian May and Roger Taylor talk about Freddie's illness, and although they don't specifically say how early Mercury knew he had HIV/AIDS, they hint that he may have known as early as during the pre-concert rehearsals for LIVE AID in 1985. And Queen did rehearse - a lot - for LIVE AID, which I hadn't heard before. Some of that rehearsal footage is seen here.

Highlights include music-video "rushes" that feature alternate angles, takes and behind-the-scenes shots of Queen making their videos. The most shocking is a frail Mercury, in pain, standing up, for the "These Are the Days of Our Lives" video. The on-the-set color footage, showing Mercury waiting for the camera to start, is haunting. His sharp jawline (from AIDS) looks like it could cut through steel. Mercury's left eye is noticeably blood shot, and he looks plain ill, yet he pulled off one of his greatest on-screen performances for the music video.
It's nice to see the black-and-white film footage of Queen actually recording part of their "News of the World" album in 1977, and the 1976 live Hyde Park footage, although shown only in a couple too-brief segments, is magnificent. Footage of Queen's 1977 tour also is examined, through footage that wonderfully blends old videotape footage with film footage of the same gig.

I also learned of Roger Taylor's hatred for the "Hot Space" songs that sported dance-like beats, and how Queen almost broke up in 1982/83.

One of rock's greatest mysteries, though, has to be a now-missing-in-action John Deacon, Queen's bassist, who, for some reason, refused to take part in this documentary, as he has in all things Queen-related over the last several years. Is Deacon still alive? Anyone seen or heard from him? Supposedly Deacon gave May and Taylor his blessing to carry on with the Queen legacy, yet there's no word at all from Deacon. Was there any bad blood? Taylor was quoted a few years ago saying something like "You'll have to ask John about that, and I don't think he's in the right place to talk about that now." Maybe a bit of bad blood exists on John's part?

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Remarkable for its' honesty and its' depth...and yet still a sad one to take in..., February 1, 2012

By 

J. Lockridge "jllx" (Birmingham, AL United States) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Queen: Days Of Our Lives [Blu-ray] (Blu-ray)

God...Freddie.

How much we need Freddie in this world today. How much we need the "Queen" of this documentary...

If you see NOTHING else, watch Brian talk about his dad, and playing MSG for the very first time, and "Love of My Life". That is as poignant, and spiritual, and lovely and wonderful piece of video as I've ever seen. And you watch Freddie's decline throughout the entire second part, and see how HARD he fought just to present a "whole person", where you could tell he was dying. Watching him perform the video for "These are the Days of Our Lives" is almost impossible to do, as poor Freddie just looks skeletal. And you hear Bri tell of a story where Freddie shows his leg to Bri while their are out on a break from a session (I'm guessing maybe it was some Kaposi's Sarcoma lesions on the leg or something), and Bri recoils---and yet Bri tells of Freddie actually apologizing for putting his friend and bandmate into such a position. Once again, just moving, and riveting. I'd also never seen Roger cry---but when he finally gets to the "end", he simply cannot go on. You won't be able to either. There are happy and victorious moments all throughout, but the second half is very difficult.

I really hate that Deacon John decided to skip out on the whole music Kingdom, but I respect that; however, it'd have been nice to really have his current thinking in this wonderful and sensitive documentary.

Queen is/was the smart man's Rock band. Bands from Metallica to the Foo Fighters to Bowie, to every football team (American and Soccer) around the whole world have enjoyed and been influenced by their music. This documentary is great at showing us why.

Musicians will particularly enjoy the behind the scenes stuff, and the "layperson" will enjoy the human interest.

This is a documentary/musical that is as important as the "Beatles Anthology"...almost.

Don't miss it. See it...the price is amazingly inexpensive for the amount of material.

RIP, Freddie...