Customer Reviews

Red Hot + Blue: A Tribute To Cole Porter

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

 

 

What a terrible shame the quality of this DVD is gastly. Why on EARTH, with such spectacular performers and rare videos, could they not have got up off their lazy a---s and digitally remastered this? Why? It's blurred, and the contrast is terrible. The ONLY clear thing (besides all their effort put into the fancy MENU (!) is the bonus footage of marvelous Annie Lennox taken from television. It appears to be from a master tape--unlike the company's own videos!
I was SO looking forward to seeing Sinead O'Connor and Annie Lennox with brilliant color and clarity--only to see it worse (and I kid you not) than the VHS quality. What's the point of putting something on DVD if it isn't any different in quality than the VHS, which can be found for a few bucks online or in any used video store? If you were to record your VHS version on to a blank DVD+R, you would have exactly what is available here. This was an important project, so I am shocked. I hope this helps save you money and especially disappointment.

A NOTE: The CD (not the DVD) is beautifully remastered and is included in this package. If you are strictly into the music (CD) and not interested in the videos (DVD), this product will be worth it for you. If you were hoping for newly remastered video clips as well, you will be considerably disappointed.

I had to have this. My VHS of "Red Hot and Blue" was pretty much worn out and I was thrilled to get this - at last! - on DVD. But Jezzy Christmas, was anyone watching this when the final masters were getting made? As everyone here has stated, the transfers are horrific. The images frequently grain out, colors wash out, and the aspect ratio clips the names of the performers off the early credits. Add that the closing credits inexplicably stop in the middle, and you realize that someone was seriously asleep at the wheel here.

And that masticates the massive one. There are heartbreaking great videos here (the two by k.d. lang and Annie Lennox still brought a tear to my eye), but they are lost in this incomprehensible mess of a reissue. Given the massive historical importance of this project (believe it or not, this was the first ever network television show to use the word 'condom' and was a watershed moment in raising awareness of AIDS and of Ronald Reagan's incompetent handling of the crisis) and the star power invloved, why the heck didn't anyone dig for better quality?

The three stars are for merely being able to get "Red Hot and Blue" back on the market again, and the CD mastering is terrific. But please, Shout Factory, go back for a re-do! Please!

This was purchased with the hope that the other reviews were somehow incorrect...they were not. After waiting years to have Red Hot Blue on DVD I was actually sad after watching it. Now that sadness is turning to anger. How could they do this to such an important project? It's criminal.

If you're reading this review, you probably already know about the content of the disc. I bought the Japanese import on Laserdiscs more than 10 years ago, and was so happy to hear that it was finally coming out on DVD. It was such an important project on so many levels, not to mention the eclectic mix of artists and songs. The laserdisc was pretty good, with an additional 12" x 12" booklet included with the disc. It was a great presentation and transfer, and I was first in line on street date to get the DVD.

I don't think that I've seen a transfer this bad on DVD, ever. It's really THAT bad. It looks like they took a worn out VHS copy of a copy and mastered it on disc. Yeah, it's that bad.

I hated writing this review because I don't want to diminish sales for this project. But this DVD should be recalled, and some serious quality assurance should be applied to a remaster. Don't waste your money.

it took them 15 years but it was about time that they did a clever mix of a dvd music video with the classic original extra songs included in with the cd and well worth the wait.

i found the quality excellent and liked the fact of the different styles of musicians and celebrities through the entire compilations to enhance in a blend of great interpretive songs/gems from the exceptionally talented songwriter cole porter.

the overall, i see was high in content and extras and for a good cause of course with excellent art form to boot. it's content talking about education, take precaution with history and current news on aids with people different takes with music videos. some examples were richard gere, john malkovich, debbie harry, annie lennox and others which also did brief clips with these people in between the music videos to break up the songs.

of course, the premise of this is for sales, music, help and awareness and i found the talks were not intrusive but brief and with interesting points from each person. i liked all the music videos but the ones that stood out the best to me were kd lang, sinaed o'connor, lisa stansfield, neneh cherry, annie lennox and the beautifully sung "do i love you" remix from aztec camera.

it's definately an interesting mix of sounds from various types of musical artists but i enjoyed the balance and think it was well worth the price for everything.

i would highly recommend it and found it a timeless treasure at home or on the road...

I was skeptical when I read some of the reviews here. However when I viewed my copy, It was great, just as my original VHS tape. It is an important piece of work, even today. We should not forget until a cure has been found.

Just wanted to say thanks to those who rated the DVD quality so low and drove the price down on this item. The DVD wasn't bad at all - keep in mind this was produced in 1989 when there was no such thing as a TV Screen larger than 24". Maybe on a large plasma or HD television the quality would be less that stellar, but I think this is nit picking. The videos are moving and the music is awesome, and if you buy this version you are actually getting a remastered CD which will sound better than if you buy just the CD alone.

Excellent purchase. Classics revisited and redone in the late eighties by various artists. Annie Lennox's "Every Time We Say Goodbye" is perhaps one of the best songs she has performed. Iggie Pop and Debbie Harry are hilarious. The DVD has videos for many of these songs that I forgot even existed. The video from Tom Waites is surreal.

I was glad I purchased this set. I think the imagining was abit soft but the picture quality did not lack at all. I did like the varied videos along with the CD mixture. There were a few stand outs U2, k.d. Lang, Salif Keita's, The Neville Brothers, Annie Lennox.

It was not a waste of time I thought but money well spent. I was not disappointed at all but with a slight imagining issue that is not overt to most eyes. The songs & text was a mixed bag that also was in the underlying issue of AIDS and I felt it did a good overall job and enjoyed them both. Recommended.

You can learn a lot from watching the new DVD release of "Red, Hot and Blue." One is the importance of safe sex. Another is the uncanny resemblance between k.d. lang and Roddy Frame.
This 2-Disk collection (which contains the DVD, plus a CD with all of the music), which originally dates circa 1990, compiles some very interesting interpretations of Cole Porter songs as performed by a wide variety of artists. Because of his own sexuality, the choice of Porter's songs may distract from the important point that AIDS is not a `Gay' disease, but it also communicates the need for open-minded awareness and non-prejudicial intelligence, especially as it regards to a health issue of universal scope. While the artistry of these interpretations varies widely, the entertainment factor is fairly consistent. For example, Sinead O'Connor's version of "You Do Something to Me" is fair to middling, but if you ever wondered how attractive she would be if she grew out her hair, here's your answer. Erasure may not be one of my favorite artists, but their video and recording of "Too Damn Hot" is a coy highlight of the DVD. Iggy Pop's pairing with Debbie Harry is an absolute hoot, as is Jim Jarmusch's video for Tom Waits' version of "It's All Right with Me". Other highlights are Neneh Cherry's ultra-pithy recording of "I've Got You Under My Skin," and the ever-reliable Annie Lennox, whose video for "Every Time We Say Goodbye" may move you to tears. The world may have since forgotten about Jody Watley (a winner of the `Best New Artist' Grammy in 1990) and Lisa Stansfield, but they both provide excellent material for this project.
One interesting (and depressing) observation is how the politics and statistics presented during the course of the program have not aged at all, while the careers of a few of the performers have fared much worse. While the number of deaths in other than third-world countries has subsided, the number of people infected by AIDS has increased spookily in accordance with the predictions. Because of this shift, it feels as though our political focus on this disease has shifted as well. The media addressed AIDS with some regularity when American and/or European artists were among its highly visible victims. Today, hard economics decide who survives and who dies, with poor countries struggling to prevent the disease from ravaging their population. Proceeds from the sale of this collection benefit AIDS research and relief, so here's an opportunity to reminisce, be entertained, and provide assistance where it is most needed. A- Tom Ryan