Product: The Beach Boys and the Satan (2008)
Rating: 3.0
Ignore the title - A VERY WELL DONE Brian Wilson Documentary
I have no idea why the director, German Christoph Dreher, decided to give this 57 minute documentary this title - or why the video company chose the packaging., but this is a hidden gem of a documentary on Brian Wilson and his music and a must for Wilson fans.The film was made in 1997 - and so references to the "Smile" album never being released are a bit premature. All the titles and on screen descriptions are in GERMAN, but all the sound (interviews, songs etc) are in ENGLISH.Starting out with the history of surf music, the film includes rare interviews with the Chantays, Don Was, and Dick Dale. Lots of rare promo films made by Capitol for the Beach Boys are also here. The film focuses on Brian Wilson's early years as well as his drug problem for about 45 minutes. About 2/3 through we get to the Psychedelic Years of music and see Janis Joplin perform at Monterey Pop Fest. Then an odd connection is made between Dennis Wilson being friends with Charles Manson and the film veers off to discuss the Manson murders. Then it's back to Brian, who has nothing at all to do with Manson.Some of the real highlights are newly filmed (well, new in 1997) interviews with Brian at his home at the piano (where he plays "Love and Mercy").A big problem with this release is that it is not "indexed" and it is ONE long 57-minute chapter, so you can't go back to a specific song or subject.Again, this is a quirky - misleadingly packaged - DVD that all Beach Boy and Brian Wilson fans will want to check out. And the video quality is very good.Steve Ramm"Anything Phonographic"