One notably good movie I've seen lately, on Blu-ray. Martin Scorsese's "Shine a Light" filming of some live Rolling Stones concerts is not only great, good music, but one of the best examples of the possibilities of HD 1080p TV and Blu-ray. Mick Jagger (and Ron Wood) look like gargoyles. Mick is amazingly thin and spry for some one who is 65 years old, if memory serves, and bounces all over the stage, like he did in his twenties . Keith Richards looks like a zombie undead superannuated version of Captain Jack Sparrow. Charlie Watts, who must be nearly 70, looks the youngest of the lot.

Guest Christine Aguilera and sings and jumps around in the highest pair of spike heeled boots I've ever seen a woman be able to stand on - must be 5-6 inch heels? While she looks really sweet, she shrieks the lyrics.

The music in the film, despite the guests, is much better when Jagger sings alone. Typical of the great Rock concerts the Stones have been doing for 40+ years. We never thought so when they started out, but the Stones have become the default Kings of Rock after the breakup of other groups like the Beatles, etc. That having been said, their best tunes still come from the sixties and early seventies, best from their period on London records and when Brian Jones was alive, "Let it Bleed" and before.

Intercut in this is parts of a mid `60's interview with Jagger and the Stones, like Scorsese used in his definitive Dylan documentary "No Direction Home"!

Buddy Guy helps Mick sing the Muddy Waters blues song "Champagne and Reefer". Unfortunately, Guy shouts the lyrics, overloads the mike and makes the anti-cocaine message unintelligible.

The Stones music is loud and the Blu-Ray sound will test the limits of your sound system.

But the most amazing thing is the video effects, the huge array of high intensity lights and strobe lights which Scorsese shoots off repeatedly and uses to backlight and then solarize Mick Jagger to a complete white.
This is what Blu-Ray can do!

If you have Blu-ray and 1080p capable HD TV, this is really a demonstration DVD!

This is a really amazing & breathtaking video footage DVD. Must see, must have! Let it rock!

"Can you picture yourself doing this at the age of 60?"

"Yeah, sure."

I thought that was the neatest line in this concert-documentary when Mick Jagger gave an honest and prophetic answer to that question, some 30 or more years ago (maybe closer to 40!). We see that short interview here on this concert DVD.

Not only Mick but Keith Richard, Charlie Watts and Ronnie Wood just keep going and going and going. Anyway, this film is 95 percent concert and five percent talk, so those who think this is a documentary are going to be disappointed. The talk includes old interviews and an opening segment with the director trying to work with the group which, as we see, isn't easy. For those who want more documentary material, check out the 16-minute featurette which comes with the DVD. There is some great material on that, reflections by a few of the guys, some nice acoustic guitar work and a better chance to see what they guys are like in rehearsal.

As far as this concert - held at the Beacon Theater in New York City - goes, it's about average for the Stones. The 2003 concerts at NYC's Madison Square Garden and the earlier ones in London, Berlin, Turin, and other places around the world seem more dynamic than this one, because of the bigger stage and audience. At the smaller venue of the Beacon, we couldn't enjoy the big props, neon scoreboards, the boys walking down the long aisle for a small set in the middle of the crowd, Mick prancing down long sides of the stage, etc. The prancing and all that is still here but it's in a confined area, almost claustrophobic at times.

It was fun here and there to see old clips of the band being interviewed when they were only in their second and third years of touring. You get an idea of the inane questions reporters have probably asked the rock group a thousand times over. The Stones, especially drummer Charlie Watts, don't exactly sound like Rhodes scholars, either! Watts seems out of place, too, but - being the family man he is - that's always been the case. Everyone loves Charlie, though, and respects him - maybe because he is different from the rest.

I thought I would prefer to hear new material instead of the same old/same old, but as it turned out, this two-hour concert was best in the last 40 minutes when the band did the familiar upbeat songs. The concert seemed to come to life with "Sympathy For The Devil" and four or five other old-time favorites. Earlier, the electricity was missing on a bunch of the numbers that you don't usually hear. Maybe this would have had a much higher impact on me had I seen it in an IMAX theater, instead of a TV on a small screen.

There were sparks flying, however, when the three guests sang and played with the group. Jack White, Buddy Guy and Christina Aguliera all brought life to the concert. Being a blues fan, I liked Guy's number best.One of the strangest moments - and maybe the most revealing - was the closeup shot of drummer Charlie Watts yawning after one number and looking very tired and bored. Hey, after all these years....he's entitled but it gave us a quick reminder just how old these guys are (mid '60s). I don't think director Martin Scorcese, whose slick cinematography in his films is fun to watch, did these guys a favor, in that regard. He makes them all look and sound as old as they really are and, hey, that's not the Stones. They jump around like 20-year-olds. They'll go on forever, right?

My problem with this is in both the performance and the filming. I can understand that The Stones have played some of these songs to death, But when they just slop through the parts, ignoring the original precision of how they put they notes together to create such great songs, its just disappointing. If you hear a performance of Beethoven's 9th Symphony where the musicians just having fun "estimating" the original written parts, it would suck. As much as I hate to say it, I'd rather listen a sound-alike Stones copy band who still respects the original music play these songs than the Stones themselves.
And the audience? Where the long hair freaks? Is this really the Stones audience? A bunch of hot young girls and stock broker types in the front rows? I guess they either got invited by Scorsese because they'd look good on film or were rich enough to get tickets from the scalpers
Watch the Altamont perfommance or RnR Circus, C***Sucker Blues to see these tired old impostors when they were THE STONES!!!...and an audience that was into the music, not into looking cool,
But that said they'es still pretty good. Unfortunately they have their own legend to live up to and that's probably impossible to achieve.
Keith did seem like he was trying on "You Got The Silver" and "Connection"

As a long time Rolling Stones fan, I enjoyed this movie quite a bit (watched it three times in a week). It's not as personal or insightful as Scorsese's "Last Waltz" was for The Band back in the 70's, but it is a good glimpse at the Rolling Stones today, in the twilight of their very long and impressive career. The music is interspersed with some old television footage, mildly personal glimpses behind the scenes, and a few interviews with the performers. It's all beautifully shot and edited by Scorsese and his team. There are also a few great musical numbers here, like Buddy Guy playing "Champagne and Reefer" with the band, a killer version of "Tumbling Dice", and Keith Richard's charming "You Got the Silver" (even if he does look like an old bag lady). I highly recommend this for Rolling Stones fans everywhere.

My favorite parts of this film were Scorsese's work, the early archival footage and interviews (and Buddy Guy's appearance). The performance itself was somewhat lacking compared to their earlier work. Now I have to say I'm a tad jaded, having seen them perform half a dozen times from their Sticky Fingers tour, to as recently as 15 years ago. and, much as I hate to say it, their age is showing; the energy just wasn't there and I felt on several occasions that they'd done a certain song too many times and couldn't find the impetus to innovate or throw too much feeling into it.

While tempted to comment on varying performance by individual members, I'll just keep that to myself.
In brief it's a well produced documentary of a great band which has seen better days (which is not to say they can't evolve- they've done so many times before)...it's just that this wasn't one of those times.

I'd guess this would be enjoyed most by people who had not seen them perform before- but then, there's better footage out there.

As Faulkner would say "they endure".

I bought this at amazon and i like it. i watched it on a flat screen hdtv.
it would go over really good a huge screen. the high point is live with me duet with Christina Aguilera. i have been going to stones shows since 1975. the only drawback, and it is my own fault is not having surround sound cause coming out of the tv speakers the sound does not do justice to the stage show.

i am glad i bought it, you will be too

This much-anticipated movie is good, but not great. It is too short, has too few extras, and the performances by Jack White and Christina Aguilera are not up to snuff. Only the blistering performance by Buddy Guy gives this DVD the punch it needs all the way through.
As concert footage goes, the pictures are sharp and clear and creative, as one would expect from Martin S, but one is left thinking it could have been so much better. I was fortunate enough to see the Stones during the Bigger Bang tour and the film does not begin to capture the raw energy of their live show---perhaps because this film was shot in the Beacon Theater in front of a small, obviously wealthy and pampered crowd rather than the blue-collar folks who made the Stones what they are.
As John Lennon once said---those of you in the cheap seats, feel free to applaud, and those in the front, feel free to rattle your jewelry.
This show does not capture the sheer joy of a Stones concert because it is so atypical of a Stones concert. The Stones played better in front of a million in Rio than in front of a few hundred in the Beacon.

my love Norman and I watched this on DVD last night.
I was captivated! I loved it madly.

the direction was super, as we assumed it would be with Martin S at the helm. the little clips of history, interviews, and live performances. fabo! even meeting Bill Clinton (that was a suprise!) all fun. would have liked it they had cut to see if Hillary was rocking out during a good song, but, nope.

Mick Jagger - over 60 years old - wow - he still has it! OK, his face is pretty old and not pretty, but his body - mmmmmm - I wouldn't kick him outa bed. face it - he is SEXY! when his little black T-shirt would raise up and you could see his flat tummy, I just wanted to pat it. and all his moves - my gosh - what a work out. he is darn sexy and active for his age.

seeing the band, up close and personal, I kept saying to Norman - wow - they all have all their HAIR! and a lot of hair.

Ron looked good. 'ol Charlie looked good. Keith Richards, still can play guitar. wow - he is one ugly dude. I loved how he'd spit out his cig when done, cracked me up. the back up singers and sax players all great.

the song with Jack White - Keith playing acoustic - wow - I could cry, so lovely. and Jack - what a hottie!


the song with Buddy Guy - OH MY GOSH - that was sooooooo GOOD! I got chills. that was wicked cool.

Christina Aguilera singing with Mick - amazing. sexy. cool.

I was so into it, I started yelling at the TV - "play Satisfaction!" and, "they have GOT to play Satisfaction before it's over!" and so on.

I'm going to buy the DVD. love it. thanks, gramma Sally

After having known Scorsese's earlier work like "Last Waltz" and recently "No Direction Home - Bob Dylan", I expected "Shine a light" to be of a similar standard. But it's mostly damp squib with the entire movie being about just one concert (all songs shown are played fully) with very few titbits from backstage and fewer clips from Stones' earlier years. This is not a documentary on the Rolling Stones but rather an extended dvd of one concert. Nothing really stands out here. All in all very avoidable. Hugely disappointing as earlier works like "The Last Waltz" and "No Direction Home" are like collectibles that can be watched several times over the years with their timeless quality..."Shine a Light" is nowhere near that..one watch and you can toss it in the bin...oh well...

The sound quality here is unacceptable. The picture looked great. But the concert was very predictible. And the performances were not very inspiring. I watched Gimme Shelter the day before watching this and it was much more exciting. To shoot Shine a Light, they had the lights turned up really high and lots of security at The Beacon.

But at Altamont, it was dark and crazy and there didn't seem to be any security. People were all over the stage, at one point a dog walks across in front of Mick. At Altamont, the band was sounding great. Anything could happen at Altamont.

It's nice that nobody was killed during the filming of Shine a Light. But all the IMAX cameras in the world couldn't make this performance fun to watch. And like I said, the sound quality on the Blu-Ray disk was really bad. They could have at least put high-quality sound on the disk.

The Stones work their magic in the intimate surroundings of the Beacon Theatre. A concert not to be missed.

great job Martin!! A sweet peek back stage with the greatest Rock-n-Roll Band in the World!! a must for your Stones collection

a magnificent document for everybody who likes the Rolling Stones. In fact it's a "must have" but be carefull: although it is not clearly indicated,this product needs a DVD player that can handle both NTSC and PAL!!! So if you're in Europe: be carefull or buy a modern DVD player...

I purchased this because my boyfriend and I went to the theaters and I felt like I was at a concert and needed a lighter to show my respect. My boyfriend is a huge rolling stones fan, he has been to every concert, he has had some rough times and seeing this movie lets him remember the good old days.

My husband is a Mick Jagger junkie. He loves the DVD and has the sound track for the DVD also. It is wonderful if you like Mick Jagger.

I give it THREE STARS because it is THE ROLLING STONES, but really it is a TWO STAR performance.

Well I hate to sat it but the reviwer "THE DUDE" is right. I love the stones music but it is like you say, time for retirement. Do they really need to keep on making money??? If Mick is so strapped for cash he can sell 5 or 6 of his homes. I have only watched about 1/2 of the movie and am having a hard time finding a reason to finish it. Sure the video is very clear (should be for an IMAX) and the sound is good but not great. They really are way past their prime, like 15 years or more past. The songs at times are sloppy and unrecognizable until they do actually sing a line clear and you go oh that's it. That Jack White dude was down right bad. They should have edited him out of the film. It may have been better with Jack Black singing and playing guitar. Buddy Guy was pretty good and I wish he had stayed out there longer. It seemed to wake up Keith from his coma. At times it looks like Mick is not happy at all and I think he knows they do not sound good at all. Can Keith actually play his guitar anymore??? Keith doing You Got The Silver was real bad. Like your drunk cousin at one of those karaoke bars. So sad.

I wish they would just hit the studio and do a couple more albums and by then you'll all be 70 and time to hang up the guitars for sure. Do an oldies rock n roll cover album. Do a blues cover album. Just don't hit the road again. It looks like Keith may very well hit the road...face first real soon. Your legacy is written in stone forever. We have all of those great albums up to Some Girls to play and enjoy. - Jim still sad after watching 1/2 of this show.

Martin Scorsese directed the Rolling Stones in this magnificent recent concert footage.

It's amazing that the Stones are still playing and agile after years of the rock-and-roll lifestyle. I hope I can bounce around like that when I'm in my 60s! Keith Richards even seemed "alive". To me you could clearly see how Johnny Depp patterned his pirate character (Pirates of the Carribean) after Richards when you watch this.

Some of the film shows a benefit concert hosted by President Clinton, who seemed so excited and happy to introduce the Stones on stage.

It's much cheaper than seeing them on stage. But, there's nothing like seeing the greatest rock-n-roll band live. My husband wouldn't take me to see them recently here in the 'Vegas area (but then again, he doesn't like my music). I, however, managed to see the Stones a few years ago---and all I could say was it was money well spent.

Buy this and turn up the volume. It plays great on a big screen with a great sound system.

The picture quality and sound was excellant. Scorcese did his job very well. Too well truth be told, This film showed the Stones warts and all. Lets face it we are all getting older and there comes a time when we have to hang it up at our respective occupations (it's called retirement). The Stones are old and this film has lifted their skirts over their heads and shows how pathetic thier live performances have become. With five back up singers and enough backing musicians to fill an orchestra pit the Rolling Stones have become boring, cartoonish, and laughable in their onstage antics and posturing. Spinal Tap has become reality. Charlie Watts is the only member who shows any class and dignity. Bill Wyman was the wisest leaving the band before they became so pathetic.

i will be very short because all i can say this disc as a concert blu ray presentation is just best of the best.
stones are still amazing and like i have said before watching this on blu ray is just amazing picture and a sound is a five stars so as you can tell i will rate this disc as a 5 star concert.

AWESOME! Is the best way to describe this DVD. The music is awesome of course, what have the Stones done that hasn't been but the way it was presented was great, no flashy stuff just down to earth entertaining. Seemed more intimate than some big put on production, could almost feel like you were there and a part of it.

After reading several less than laudatory reviews of this film, I didn't really expect much. Boy, was I in for a surprise. The film is dynamic, engaging, beautifully filmed and just plain old rocking fun. Sure, the Stones are long in the tooth, but they still have plenty of bite. This is a great concert film and Stones detractors can't dim his glow. Buy it, turn it up and have fun. No one is better on stage. No one.

Thought it was amazing. Can't believe how good the stones are after all these years. A must watch. Recommend to anyone who likes the stones.

Muy bueno pero creo que siendo probablemente el último documental de un concierto en vivo, debieron interpretar más clasicos de los Stones. No obstante, es un valioso documento que perpetuará una historia fantástica que lamentablemente ha de terminar algún día, para convertirse en leyenda.

My husband and I are long time Stones fans. We saw this movie on IMAX - AMAZING! You gotta' own it - They've still got it after all these years, but we wished they would have had some mention of Bill Wyman.

Hi - just got my copy from Amazon - should there be a booklet included with the disc? My copy did not have one and it appears that the package was not sealed so I'm wondering if I should return it...Thanks in advance!

Scorcese and the Stones are both titans in their vocations. With this stature comes a natural creative tension, humorously played up in the start of the film as Scorcese begs for a set list and the Stones mischeviously hold out on him. The show itself is very good, but we have all seen Stones films before.

The biggest, baddest band of all time can still crank out the energy and volume, but it is in the quiet moments that Scorcese's efforts really pay off. He sprinkles in old interview footage that is ironic, funny and insightful, particularly in the present day follow-up. I have been a Stones fan for a long time and the film only enhanced my belief that these guys are really talented and very smart, often toying with all of us as they do their thing.

Do not miss the extra footage: Great footage of the soundcheck; despite the reputation, these guys are consumate professionals who really love their work. Scorcese requested Factory Girl, which did not make the movie, but Ronnie, Keith and Mick jam on it with no one around. Funny and real exchanges with the band and Buddy Guy and Bill Clinton. Keith quietly noodling on stage, pleased to be doing what he loves to do; eyes closed, picking away. Now that is something I could watch all day.

awesome, mind blowing, unbelievable. If anyone rates it under 5 stars, s/he's insane.
Watched it on the theatre, got the soundtrack and now the dvd as well. They all rock.

Buy it!
it's only rock n roll!!!!

An awesome demo of what's possible with Blu-ray. Looks and sounds wonderful. Scorsese did an amazing job too.

I have seen the Stones many times over many years(winterland with stevie wonder the opener in 1970,a limited crowd because altamont had been there previous concert here,that was the best),this dvd captures the magic!

Excelent!! The sound is first class! Great camera work. The songs selection was perfect. The best band in the world!!!

THIS PRODUCT WAS DEFECTIVE , VERY INCONVIENT TO HAVE TO RETURN AND GO BUY AND AT LOCAL STORE THE WHOLE IDEA WAS TO AVOID GOING TO A LOCAL RETAIL STORE

As you would expect, Martin Scorsese has made a great film of a Stones concert. The cinematography is very good, the featurettes are interesting as are the old recorded interviews (although older Stones fans, like me, will have seen them all before in decades past). However, what makes this film outstanding is the sound quality; it's so much better than in other DVDs of their concerts that I own. You can crank it up if you want to rock out but you can also pick out subtle remarks between the players, as when Keith gives Buddy Guy his guitar at the end of the show-stopping 'Champagne and Reefer'. The song selection illustrates the talents of all band members and guest artists and there should be something in here for everyone. Thoroughly recommended.

The music itself is col enough, but the audio is totaly flat and without punch, almost no bass at all (tha bassdrum is nowhere to be heard). the band is almost always lit up with amber (skintone) lights. David Gilmour: Remember That Night - Live At The Royal Albert Hall [Blu-ray] Is way better in the audiovisual parts of the show. however, this is a gem for stones fans

MPEG-4 AVC BD-50 / High Profile 4.1 / Region Free
Protection: AACS
BD-Java: Yes
Running time: 2:02:02
Main feature size: 41,135,339,520 bytes
Disc size: 49,534,583,745 bytes
Average video bit rate: 30.59 Mbps

DTS-HD Master Audio English 4613 kbps 5.1 / 48kHz / 24-bit / 4613kbps (DTS Core: 5.1 / 48kHz / 24-bit / 1536kbps)
Dolby TrueHD Audio English 4116 kbps 5.1 / 48kHz / 24-bit / 4116kbps (AC3 Core: 5.1 / 48kHz / 640kbps)
LPCM Audio English 1536 kbps 2.0 / 48kHz / 16-bit / 1536kbps

Subtitles: English / English SDH / French / Spanish
Number of chapters: 21

#Supplemental Featurette (HD, 16 minutes)
#Bonus Songs (HD)