Lame DVD of a legend? What's going on?
D. Pritchard | Wilkes-Barre , PA | 10/02/2006
(2 out of 5 stars)
"Being that this DVD was kind of cheap, and thinking it might be a decent view I took a chance getting this. I would rate this at 2 1/2 if 1/2 were allowed....but it's closer to a 2 than an 3 in my eyes. The main feature is a one hour special telling the story of Marvin's life. The best part of course is the footage they unearth...footage that gets no longer than a few seconds long. What happens to these clips? Who knows why they aren't in the bonus material because they are golden. The special itself has reenactments of events in Marvin's life which just look piss poor. Meanwhile distant relatives and random people from Motown records tell about Marvin. It's alright, but nothing here is revelatory by any means. It's funny that Barry Gordy still downplays not wanting to release the album the DVD is named after. The only redeeming factor of the DVD is a bonus concert in the special features. It's not very long, maybe a half an hour, but it's a great peformance. Of course, they manage to screw this up too, because there are no dates or list of performers for the show. Also for some unfathomable reason, they don't even put the show in order! One song he'll have no shirt on, and the next he's wearing a three piece suit! So unless you are a diehard Marvin fan, I wouldn't suggest getting this. Get the deluxe editions of his albums, that will give you more insight into the man then this even tries to."
What's Going On The Life and Death of Marvin Gaye
Patricia E. Isaacson | Sitka, Alaska USA | 08/26/2007
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Excellent. I thought I knew a lot about his life, but there was more than one surprise in this bio. Particularly about his father. Because of how his life ended, I found it to be very touching. The music that he had composed toward the end, especially the What's Going On cd, is still, unfortunately, as relevant today as it was then. We haven't learned the lessons about war and ecology that we should have. By the end of this dvd, I was left wondering where his passion for music would have taken him if he had lived. We'll never know."
For all Marvin Gaye fans
Charles Habersham | Beacon, New York | 11/06/2008
(5 out of 5 stars)
"This is a great DVD, that gives so much insight into the life and death of this great music legend. Taken back through time in reinactment you see the horror he had to go through at the hands of his sadistic father, a proclaimed minster. You see the rise and fall of a this great talent."
MARVIN GAYE TELLS "WHAT'S GOING ON"
Joyce A. Gilder | Las Vegas, NV | 12/29/2008
(5 out of 5 stars)
"This is a great DVD, it brings back memories. You must love Marvin Gaye to appreciate his talent. This DVD shows the talent and it shows the turmoil he went through which inspired many of the songs he wrote. Songs that still speak lougly to the present times.
I am so happy I added this one to my collection.
J.A. Gilder"