Considering that the new millennium has seen diva Diana Ross spend a good deal more time on the police blotter (following her 2002 arrest and subsequent jail sentence for drunk driving) than the pop charts, it's nice to be... more » able to look at her music rather than her mugshot. The six videos in this 1985 compilation were made by directors (including Bob Giraldi and Marty Callner) who were among the leaders in the field at the time, and Ross is featured with some big-name stars, like Julio Iglesias ("All of Me") and Marvin Gaye (recalled via film clips in "Missing You"). But notwithstanding the strong (if inevitably somewhat dated) production values, the elaborate sets and costumes, and Ross's glamorous aura, most of this is pop music at its most disposable, a dead end of synth-dance superficiality and forgettable tunes (the obvious exception being the doo-wop chestnut "Why Do Fools Fall in Love?"). In short (and at under 30 minutes, with no bonus features, it certainly is that), this is far from Diana Ross's finest hour, and will be of passing interest at best to all but her most devoted fans. --Sam Graham« less
Actor:Diana Ross Genres:Music Video & Concerts Sub-Genres:Pop, Rock & Roll, Other Music Studio:Lightyear Format:DVD - Color DVD Release Date: 04/29/2008 Original Release Date: 01/01/2008 Theatrical Release Date: 01/01/2008 Release Year: 2008 Run Time: 0hr 29min Screens: Color Number of Discs: 1 SwapaDVD Credits: 1 Total Copies: 0 Members Wishing: 0 MPAA Rating: NR (Not Rated) Languages:English See Also:
I'm a fan of Diana Ross but this was very cheesy 80s style videos (not the good ones) and it did not have the songs that made me a fan except for one of them. A must if you are a Diana Ross fan though!
Movie Reviews
Outstanding Artist !! Average DVD
RockStar13 | USA | 05/09/2004
(5 out of 5 stars)
"I give this DVD 5 stars simply because its Diana Ross. The fact that there are only 6 music videos which all come from the 80's is very disappointing. Its still better to have some of MISS ROSS'S videos on DVD rather than none at all, but this is not the way a DIVA of her caliber should be recognized. Fans want more of Diana's videos, not just a small portion. I would have also included her videos:* Mirror Mirror
* Chain Reaction
* Eatin Alive
* Dirty Looks
* Workin Overtime
* This House
* Take me Higher
* I Will Survive
* Until We Meet Again
* Not Over You Yet
* Upside Down (Live)
* I'm Coming Out (Live)
* The Best Years of my Life"
DYNAMIC DIANA!
ianphillips@uk.dreamcast.com | BOLTON, LANCASHIRE, ENGLAND | 08/24/2000
(5 out of 5 stars)
"A collection of some of Ross' videos from the 1980's with the ultimate cream of the crop being the affectionate re-creation of her days with the supremes in CHAIN REACTION. In this stunning video you can witness Ross dancing away as if on some 60's type, t.v. show such as Hullaboo when all of a sudden it transfers into colour and you can see the dazzling transformation of Miss Ross of how she is today - an icon of glamour! The video is great fun and the track itself is a true classic although it did surprisingly fare very badly on the U.S charts. SWEPT AWAY and EATEN ALIVE are also notably good, creative and enjoyable videos whilst WHY DO FOOLS FALL IN LOVE features Ross running and dancing her way round some of the most dazzling sights in Las vegas. MIRROR MIRROR and MUSCLES are also startling videos which rounds this considerably short video as excellent and one well worth having."
The Startling Visions Of The Dynamic Diana Ross
Ian Phillips | Bolton, Lancashire, UK | 07/04/2006
(4 out of 5 stars)
"The Visions Of Diana Ross DVD is only a relatively short collection of videos, focusing on her early years with RCA Records. Being the ever keen fan of the delightful Diana Ross, I would have much preferred a more thorough over view of her videos, rather than just a sprinkling of promotional videos that look extremely dated when viewing today.
The Visions Of Diana Ross begins with the video to her cross-Atlantic Top 10 smash hit, Why Do Fools Fall In Love a fun, bouncy intepretation that's far closer to swinging Las Vegas than the streets of New York, which was where the song was created and inspired. Fittingly the video is set in the heart of Las Vegas where Diana is seen dancing and running around some familiar sightings in Vegas whilst an enthusiastic crowd of spectactors form a line to watch Diana perform. Nothing spectacular but fine for its time.
The video to her storming Rock-R&B American Top 20 hit, Swept Away is one of the more creative and atmospheric videos. A spiky haired Diana is sat on a beach alone in the middle of the night reminiscing to herself about the man she was supposedly "swept away" by. It contains segements of Diana dancing at the top of a lighthouse, swimming under sea at night, seducing a very good looking man and rather laughably brawling with another woman in some late night bar over her man. The video escalates into pure melodrama at the climax where Diana is seen at the top of the lighthouse, fighting with her man. There's a struggle and he goes over the edge and falls to his death (though you don't see that of course). Unusual and enjoyable video to a fantastic song that was one of her best on the RCA Records label.
All Of You features the ever glamorous, sophisticated Diana Ross duetting with charismatic Latin crooner, Julio Igelias, which glided into the American Top 20 charts. The video is set at a party where Diana and Julio remain completely oblivious to all others surrounding them as they croon sickly sweet nothings to one another. May be a bit too syrupy for some but I actually think theres something nice and charming about it.
Muscles, an American Top 10 hit penned by the genius Michael Jackson, is the next video on this collection and is laughably dated though was fun in it's day. Diana is seen cavorting around her boudair with several gorgeous muscled men (lucky Diana!) and looks as though shes having the time of her life (and who can blame her!).
Pieces Of Ice was one of her more over-looked songs where it crawled into the lower reaches of the U.S Top 40. The Pieces Of Ice video is the most startling video on here though the silly animal costumes look painfully cheesy but the dancing is slick and tasteful (for its era at least) and Diana oozes sexual charisma and looks divine in that tight, red sequinned dress.
Missing You is my favourite video on The Visions Of Diana Ross as it inteprets footage of the late Marvin Gaye (who had been shot dead in 1984 following a heated argument with his estranged father) in between footage of Diana singing the song in a dimly lit studio. There is also some treasured and rare footage of these two legends of soul music together who were dubbed as the Queen and King of Motown. Watching Diana and Marvin Gaye singing, laughing and dancing together on stage it's hard to believe those stories about the recording sessions for the Diana and marvin (1973) album where they apparently clashed - Diana was reportedly antagonised by Marvins refusal to stop smoking weed during the rehersals as she was heavily preganant at the time.The Missing You video is beautifully done and is actually quite moving without shrinking to being too corny. The song itself became Diana Ross last top 10 hit in the U.S to date (though she continues to be a strong seller in the U.K and all across Europe).
The mere fact that some of these videos aren't to some of her more well known hits makes it of no great historical interest to the musical collector but fans like myself will find this a worthy addition to their collection.
The videos included are obviously very dated now but this was the early 1980's after all and in that fact, The Visions Of Diana Ross makes very entertaining viewing, if only for pure nostalgia.
Ian Phillips
July 2006
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Incomplete Visions of a diva
blondeguy10 | South Africa | 01/19/2007
(3 out of 5 stars)
"I just dont understand these short dvd compilations, sure these are some of Ms Ross's more interesting videos (Swept Away is a mini epic)( Muscles is campy)and I love love love Pieces of Ice - the song and the video, and it was one of the reasons for purchasing this incomplete collection.
Surely someone of Diana Rosses stature, deserves a complete career videography? capturing all of her work from the 60's to present day (another diva who needs the same is Donna Summer)
For an example on how to do it....check out Olivia Newton-Johns Gold 1 & 2 dvd.
Nice to have for fans - but could have been so much better."
The same as the original VHS: Nothing new!
Mary Woodhouse | Saint Paul, MN United States | 05/08/2004
(3 out of 5 stars)
"Although it is nice to have a DVD at last, containing some of Ross's greatest 80s moments on music video, the HUGE disappointment is that the original tracklist from the 1985 VHS release (re-issued in 1993) has not changed at all. The same six videos! This is quite disappointing - us fans expected the DVD to be expanded, with an additional 6 videos, like my suggested additions below:* Mirror, Mirror
* Work That Body
* Eaten Alive
* Chain Reaction [her best music video ever!]
* Dirty Looks
* Missing You [original 'more Motown' version]To be honest, I was surprised when 10 years ago, the VHS edition was reissued with no additional selections. Now, I am even more surprised and upset that this still hasn't been expanded and revised. This DVD could also have new cover art to make it improved. Ultimately, while these videos are treasured by Diana Ross fans and this DVD will be nice to have, it falls far short of the star treatment we expect our favorite singer to receive."