As with the main feature, all extras come with a host of optional subtitles (see sidebar). Likewise, the one deleted scene is absolutely fascinating as we’re taken into the mastering process and witness a heated argument which, I believe, has something to do with deadlines, though the sheer volume means that this is difficult to make out.Įlsewhere, we find the music video for the track ‘Encore’, though this is essentially reconstituted concert footage, and the original theatrical trailer.
Moreover, its various contributors, from cultural commentator Nelson George to fellow rapper Q-Tip, actually have something to say, unlike their counterparts in Fade to Black itself. The 20-minute featurette is far more revealing that the film itself, identifies the various contributors and actually allows us to learn something. The extras are, on the whole, rather pleasing. Indeed, technically speaking it demonstrates no problems. As for the soundtrack, the DD5.1 mix is, as said, rather limp, though I suspect this is a fault inherent in the film itself and not the disc.
The image is consistently, presents no technical problems and is anamorphically enhanced to boot. Shot on digital video it looks as good as could be expected given the format. It comes as no surprise to learn that Jay-Z himself was involved in Fade to Black from start to finish (the first title is “A Shawn Carter Film”, the rapper’s real name) and therefore, perhaps, no surprise to discover that it’s a film designed solely to accommodate his fans.įade to Black’s presentation on disc is exactly what you’d expect from a new release. Indeed, the editing process has led of all this footage to amount to little more than snippets of Jay-Z and his cohorts goofing off or some shameless sycophancy at the expense of actually learning something. Rick Rubin, for example, one of hip-hop’s key producers of the last twenty or so years, is introduced solely as “Rick” and revealed to be a little bit weird we never learn of why he is working with Jay-Z or vice versa, or what makes either of them earn their success or acclaim – it is simply presumed that we’ll know all of this already. We have no idea as to which songs are being recorded, who any of these people are or what their significance is. Indeed, any newcomer to Jay-Z will be completely lost. For whilst the concert footage is effectively sound, the recording studio sections which occupy a fair chunk of screen time most certainly is not. Indeed, fans of Jay-Z wishing to pick up this disc will find little of fault in this respect.Īnd yet, as a cinematic feature, perhaps Fade to Black should have attempted a more widespread appeasement. It may come across as somewhat limited in the sound department (the DD5.1 mix being effectively mono for the most part), but otherwise we get a faithful recreation of the gig. In avoiding the tricksy and by not drawing attention to itself, Fade to Black is able to document the concert with minimal fuss – and this it does well.
Of course, this shouldn’t necessarily be taken as a bad thing. And in shooting on digital video rather than film stock, the normality of Fade to Black and its execution are further enhanced. The various guest star-laden numbers are captured unobtrusively in the expected fashion: cameras are placed on- and off-stage, both in and out of the audience, the majority of whom get their faces onscreen at some point or other. Taken as a concert film, pure and simple, Fade to Black does little that you wouldn’t expect from your standard DVD offering. Indeed, cinematically speaking there is nothing out of the ordinary to be found here. Yet it’s also worth asking why this film was screened in cinemas in the states. This is perhaps understandable as Jay-Z – the rapper who’s “retirement” this documentary captures in the form of studio footage of his recording his final album, The Black Album, and concert footage of his farewell gig at Madison Square Garden, New York – has less of a cultural significance over here. Sadly, this is a disc strictly for the fans.įade to Black comes straight to DVD in the UK having earned a theatrical run in the US. Anthony Nield reviews the Region 2 release of Fade to Black, the concert film/documentary of Jay-Z’s retirement concert in Madison Square Gardens, NY.