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Sweet Dreams

Straightforward biopic of country chanteuse Patsy Cline, with a chain-smoking Jessica Lange in the lead and Ed Harris as her drunken husband. Excellent performances from both, with good period detail and great music (Lange miming along to original Cline recordings)... but otherwise very dull indeed (domestic bickering followed by a plane crash).

The Decline Of The American Empire

Eight Quebecois intellectuals, four boys and four girls, discuss sex, history, the state of the world, sex, each other and sex as they prepare for a weekend together in the country. Gabby, but engrossing in a My Dinner With André sort of way, this 1986 movie marks the first appearance of the old friends who are reunited in Denys Arcand's The Barbarian Invasions.

Pasta Perfect

Alex Cox, maverick writer-director of Repo Man and Walker, on a newly extended version of Sergio Leone's epic

Dark Side Of The Moon

The Orrible Oo's classic video jukebox rockumentary gets a 25th anniversary makeover

Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds

Never mind the bats, release the DVD! A fair-value set of 20 promos from the durable out-of-tune gothsters, many directed by longtime cohort John Hillcoat. Anton Corbijn helms "Straight To You", and renaissance man Mick Harvey bosses the excellent "Deanna" and "Wanted Man".There's an undeniable sense that Cave's talents withered long ago, and the duets with Kylie, PJ Harvey and Shane MacGowan are distraction tactics, but this is a comprehensive, cool-enough collection.

Led Zeppelin

Don't be deceived by the enticing claim that this "complete and unauthorised documentary" contains "exclusive and in-depth interviews". They're not with anybody who was ever actually in Zeppelin but with the likes of former Yardbird Jim McCarthy and even a tribute band called Letz Zep. This motley crew relate the familiar story well enough—but you can't help wondering what the point was. Approach with extreme caution.

Bob Dylan

"Through the camera of Bob Dylan's drummer, Mickey Jones," the opening credits promise. Yes, Jones was there. But the problem is he was more interested in filming hotels and tourist haunts than chronicling Dylan's progress. Then, when it came to the incendiary shows, he was to be found behind drum kit rather than camera. Not much Bob, then. But Dylanologists will still be fascinated by Jones' eyewitness account as he talks us through the electrifying events all over again.

Pretenders

A close-to-classic 'intimate' set, filmed in the mid-'90s at London's Jacob St Studios. Chrissie Hynde and trusted band, assisted by a string quartet, loll luxuriously through such sultry charmers as "Kid","Private Life" and "Lovers Of Today", while Damon Albarn trots on as guest star to tinkle the ivories. There's also a stab at Radiohead's "Creep", with Hynde in sublime voice. A rock icon who's also one of the great white soul singers.

Run-Dmc

Run-DMC did more than anyone to bring rock into hip hop in the mid-'80s. Greatest Hits shows the band at their best (the Tipper Gore-baiting "Mary Mary") and worst (the cutesy "Christmas In Hollis"). The purists sneered at the Jason Nevins makeover of "It's Like That",but those warehouse visuals will have turned a new generation of suburban 13-year-olds on to hip hop.

Elton John

Filmed in 1979, directed by sitcom stalwarts lan La Frenais and Dick Clement, To Russia With Elton is the antidote to the current Elton live show. Accompanied only by drummer Ray Cooper, he seems to have a genuine hunger; unsurprising, perhaps, in light of the commercial failure of '78's A Single Man and the following year's critically reviled Victim Of Love. Probably the last time Elton was ever vital.
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