Friday, September 8, 2017

EvenSpotSpeaks Review on Special Edition The Nightmare DVD

Welcome To My Nightmare Special Edition 
Featuring The Nightmare 1975 TV Special


Finally they released The Nightmare TV Special that should of been
released about 6 years ago. It would of gone well w/ the release of
Alice's new album Welcome 2 My Nightmare but better late than never I guess.

I still have the original VHS version that came out in 1983. I believe I ordered it from
some magazine at that time. 
So the DVD version isn't sharper than the VHS version in fact some
parts seem to be a bit grainy and color isn't sharp but from what I heard it was
taken from the original tape. As for the show itself still campy and enjoyed the songs
even a few alternative lyrics to "Devil's Food", "Awakening" and a few other songs I notice
Alice changed maybe 1 or 2 words. Of course Vincent Price was a perfect fit to give 
Alice a tour of his own nightmare and you see a young Sheryl Goddard later
to become Sheryl Cooper.

The second part includes Welcome To My Nightmare movie which I have seen
at the Drive-In back in '75 or '76. I later purchased the VHS version of this concert
from a 1988 KERRANG! Ad. I remember this was the first time I had to go 
and exchange U.S. currency to U.K. I must of watched that VHS tape a hundred times. 
Later on Rhino put out this show on DVD in '99.

So we come to 2017 version which has one major flaw. 
No "Department of Youth" they list it on the back cover and booklet. Also on the
DVD menu but when you click on it you get the end of the song as Alice is bowing
to the crowd and leads into introducing the band. Right before that "School's Out"
was being played then it jumps to Alice bowing to the audience.
Other than that I notice a lot of quick edits as it jumps to the next song. 
The solo battle of guitarists Dick Wagner and Steve Hunter are amazing but near the end
it doesn't fade out it jumps into the Vincent Price intro of "The Black Widow".
Pretty rough editing I would say through out.
Again no clean up on the film and it seems to be dark at times.
I personally think the VHS version I ordered from KERRANG! back in '88
was much better.

No interviews, comments or bonus footage.
You do get a booklet of 6 pages of credits some pics
w/ some small copy that was hard to read plus over some of 
the color background didn't help at all. Poor graphics.
Just a step above a bootleg version.

Update on the missing "Department of Youth"song: from a reliable source 
it was stated that the two programs put together are too much for the normal duel layer DVD
so they cut a track to fit it on one disc.
Personally I would of been happy w/ just The Nightmare than a half assed production.


Back of DVD clamshell
this copy is clear unlike the inside booklet