30 Odd Foot of Grunts - Texas
Rejoice, Russell Crowe fans. The Aussie actor-heartthrob and his rock group get the royal treatment with this elaborate DVD, which includes a 78-minute documentary and numerous special features. But the question must be asked: Would we care about this band if Crowe weren't the lead singer? Probably not. Nor would we be inclined to try to navigate this annoying package, with its endless instructions (One sample: "To access the Minus 3 Foot level, in the Secret Bonus Photos Gallery, press 'Up' on the third photo, and then 'Down' on the fifth..."), secret codes, and so on. Perhaps that's all designed to distract us from the music, which consists of journeyman rock with standard-issue tunes, decent playing, and a very average vocalist. As a musician, Crowe makes a wonderful actor. Hey, if he wants to play music, more power to him--but this is not a band that's destined for greatness.--Sam Graham