Cheap Better Living Through Circuitry (DVD) (Jon Reiss) Price

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Customer Reviews of Better Living Through Circuitry

Great, Great, Great
This is an excellent portrayal of the rave scene, which is definitely a breath of fresh air from the incompetent media types who feel the need to create a hysteria about something they don't take the time to understand. If you don't know what a rave is about, you should definitely give this a look, as it doesn't seek to glorify those elements about the scene that are getting all the attention (for example, ecstasy use). Instead, the footage consists of interviews with the partygoers, DJs, and other people who are actively involved within the scene.

There is quite a substantial amount of "extras" on the DVD, such as an option to view a gallery of party fliers that had been going around at the time, extended interviews with DJs and other people in the industry, and even commentary by the film makers in which the documentary is played from front to back with the sound taken away and the film makers comment on each part of the footage. That part definitely sheds more light into how the scene works and also gives a little more insight into how they were able to meet the people they did and get some of the footage that they would have otherwise not been able to get.

Too much to explain, this is just a great DVD.

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A great explanation of the U.S. rave scene
Being an 'active member' of the rave scene I was very happy to see that a documentary was made about it. Finally, someone was able to expose a culture that, to many, still remains unknown (maybe they choose not to know what goes on). Thanks to such 'mainstream' techno artists as Fatboy Slim, The Chemical Brothers, Crystal Method, and Moby, electronic music sparked an interest in people who would otherwise be unfamiliar with names like John Digweed, Sasha, BT, and Roni Size. Now with the advent of radio airplay, and even MTV, there is a wider audience that this music has reached. There are, still, many DJs and producers that remain almost anonymous to anyone other than ravers; people like Rank 1, Oliver Lieb, or Future Breeze. That's a good reason why "Better Living" works so well. Not only is the average Joe exposed to this culture but he or she is also given the chance to hear from people who have experienced raves and can share their experiences.

I bought the DVD because when the movie came out it was only in selected theaters across the U.S. My expectations were high because I knew that a film like would not be limited to just talking about the scene today. With the help from a transvestite (who appears one too many times) the viewer is given the chance to understand how the music made its way over here from England with the development of the 'acid house' movement in the late 80s. From then DJs and producers took that style and added their own flair which developed into the many styles that make up electronic music (featuring a great interview with Carl Cox).

The DVD has some cool features like a couple of clips that have some previews of computer generated graphics, more interviews with Roni Size and DJ Dan, among others, and a party flyer montage. Some great highlights are interviews with some of the leading electronic producers today like BT (who rarely gives interviews), Roni Size, Scanner, the Crystal Method (with a great explantion of an underground storage facility a la studio), and Frankie Bones' superb interview. Even superego DJ Keoki has a bit while watering his garden. I also liked the computer generated visuals that appear between segments. Although, the downside of the film is some really ditzy e-ed out kids who act a little too childish (which is why some people hate ravers). But with that aside, the overall feel of high energy and excitement are made apparent by the great shots of the dancefloor and seeing DJs like, BT, DJ Spooky, and Carl Cox showing the crowd some of their abilities.

If you are familiar with the scene this movie will appeal to you on many different levels. But even if techno music seems like something you can't even understand, this movie sheds quite a bit of light about what the rave scene is about and what is means to the people involved in it. Definitely check out this little gem.

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Excellent portrayal of the rave scene.
This documentary is beyond good, it is excellent, it is beautiful, it is an awesome picture of how our scene is. From interviews with Djs, producers, ravers, and even paramedics and cops, this documentary shows raves and ravers in their true habitat. It also does what many have tried, but failed miserably : puts the media to shame in their coverage of this scene. How much time is devoted to drugs? Maybe 10 minutes, combined...the rest is pure musical content.

Bad points : The editing is a little off at times. Once in a while, the interviewee may get cut off and a word becomes indecipherable, taking you out of the magic of the moment. Also, the music is a bit loud in some interviews, causing the words to fall behind the music, instead of vice versa. Other than these technical flubs, the movie is awesome.

The DVD is jam packed with extras as well, I still haven't gotten through them all. A flyer gallery, extended interviews with some of the DJs/Producers in the movie (Roni Size, Crystal Method, etc.) and a whole scene that was cut out with one of my favorite DJs, DJ Dan, plus a lot more in there too...a MUST BUY!